another AA gone awry thanks to my stupidity

[pr0crastin8r]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (8 handed)

MP1 (t1070)
MP2 (t845)
CO (t1327)
Hero (t775)
SB (t1750)
BB (t800)
UTG (t800)
UTG+1 (t633)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="666666">2 folds</font>, MP1 calls t15, <font color="666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t30</font>, SB calls t20, BB calls t15, MP1 calls t15.

MISAKE #1: should have raised to 60 to drive out cheese.

Flop: (t120) 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="CC3333">MP1 bets t50</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t100</font>, SB folds, BB calls t100, MP1 calls t50.

Rags... uh oh. Something smells cheesy.

Turn: (t420) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, MP1 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets t150</font>, BB calls t150, MP1 folds.

MISTAKE #2: scare card didn't scare me.

Nice play on his part...

River: (t720) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets t100</font>, BB calls t100.

Why'd he only call instead of raise? I wouldn't pin me on the flush draw if I were him.

Final Pot: t920
<font color="green">Main Pot: t920 (t920), between Hero and BB.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by BB (t920).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
BB shows 5s 4s (straight, seven high).
Hero shows As Ah (one pair, aces).
Outcome: BB wins t920. </font>

Did I miss anything?

[Jurollo]

you have to raise more than 2x the BB preflop that is for damn sure, at least 90 here, you are asking for someone to catch 2 pair or a straight or flush draw on you with that bet, AA is only not nearly as good as you think in pots with more than 3 players, ken warren has the numbers in one of the books I have but they escape me now, under 40% that maybe even 30%, none the less, you want action preflop, not a ton of players though.

[pr0crastin8r]

I guess my psychological reason, however wrong it may have been, for such a small raise was that the last three times I've had AA in level 1 and did a decent sized raise, it scared everybody away. And I have myself a measly t30-45 steal. I guess I wanted SOMEBODY to call me, just not everybody. But scaring everybody off is a risk I guess I should be taking, even at level 1. Right?

[Cosimo]

Lots of BBs will call a minraise PF, just for a chance to crack aces. Other players will call a minraise (or a pot bet to 35) with junk hands. If you want them in, minraise. You don't normally want them in, because you never know where they are.

If your AA isn't getting called, then neither will your J5s. Start stealing more.

[PrayingMantis]

It's very important to raise a more significant amount PF, in your spot, with AA, *especially* since there is one limper in front of you. Your mini-raise is problematic for a few different reasons.

You sure don't want a few loose callers with garbage in the pot, if you're going to play your aces hard post-flop, and that's what you should usualy like to do.

So, all the problems begin PF. Narrow the field. 3 more players against you is a bit too much, especially when 2 of them are playing from the blinds. On the flop, again, play harder. It's a drawing flop. Raise more. Cut their odds (again - you are only mini-rasing. That's not enough). Force them to make mistakes.

When the flush card hits on the turn, it gets a bit tricky, and it depends on your overall read. Since there are two players left with you, both of them called on the flop, you should probably be cautios, your AA might be dead.

The fact that BB had 54s, is a result from your small mini-raise PF. There are 2 basic options: Slow-playing your AA PF, getting a few callers (that's essentially what you did) and playing very carefully later on (very risky, and absolutely not recommended for SNGs),

OR playing strong PF, and taking the "risk" of winning only the blinds. If someone is ready to play with you, you can be happy, since you know pretty well where you stand.

As a rule, especially for SNGs, the second option is superior.

All IMO.

(BTW, there was no stupidity involved here, as opposed to what you say in the title. It's about making mistakes and learning from them. As long as you learn, it's very different from stupidity.).

[SumZero]

I don't mind slow playing aces as you can win a whole stack pretty easily. But you should slow down when the scary cards hit the board.

And I think his lack of reraise on the river is fine as you are not going to fold a better hand then his and you are unlikely to call with a worse hand. Maybe you call with a set.

So why should he raise?