Button w/AA, folded to you

[rjb03]

What is your strategy to extract the max with AA when it is folded to you on the button? I usually can't get any action even if I try just going up to 3x BB. I got it twice in the same SNG on the button and all I managed to do was steal the blinds.

[durron597]

Just make your standard raise. If you get the blinds, the only way you were going to get much action from the blinds anyway is if they flop a monster (read: hand that beats AA).

[mscott2374]

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Just make your standard raise. If you get the blinds, the only way you were going to get much action from the blinds anyway is if they flop a monster (read: hand that beats AA).

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I couldn't agree more. The last thing you want to do is give the blinds a cheap shot at a flop that could end up with you losing alot of your chips 'cos you can't laydown AA. Take the blinds and be happy with it. It's always better to win a small pot than lose a big one IMHO

[thomastem]

[ QUOTE ]
What is your strategy to extract the max with AA when it is folded to you on the button? I usually can't get any action even if I try just going up to 3x BB. I got it twice in the same SNG on the button and all I managed to do was steal the blinds.

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If they are folding to your standard raise take comfort in the fact that you can steal lots of blinds with lots of holdings in the future.

[byronkincaid]

Personally I limp. Not saying this is right just what I do.

[Travis]

I agree that you should just make your standard raise with AA on the button in the early or middle stages of a SnG. If you limp and give the blinds a free look then you are going to have a real tough time knowing where you are against them in the hand and could have a hard time putting the hand down if they flop something nice. Just hope they have some sort of hand and put you on a blind steal. If the blinds put you on a steal attempt and you're sitting there with Aces, you could win a great pot. However, I think there can be some value late in a tournament (say 3-4 handed) to limping if the blinds have been folding to your raises. If they flop top pair or a piece of the flop, you could win nice pot. Later in the tournament people will push harder with smaller holdings so you'd like to get some action of your aces. By not raising preflop, you are giving them reason to think top or middle pair is good and they should push their hand. Its a bit risky and you need to have a read on them. Some people might disagree with this advice though.

[Officer Farva]

In general, its good to use a standard raise throughout a tourney, so your opponents will have no idea what you have. Stick to it even when you have aces.

Obviously, however, the right thing to do depends on the situation. If you're playing against a short stack or an agressive player, limping or making a small raise my draw out the bluff. An other play you might consider, especially late in a tourney, is pushing all in. This move requires a lot of discipline, but can be more effective than limping. Your oppponent wonders why you would push so hard if you actually had a hand, and suddenly that ace-6 starts looking real good...