AA Slowplay

I was watching ESPN yesterday and they were showing some tournament down in Binions/Mississippi.


Three players left.


Two players see flop unraised.


Flop is A-J-4 (I think), all clubs.


Asian guy bets 40,000.


Other guy raises all in.


Asian guy thinks about it, and calls (he has him covered at least 2-1).


Old guy has AA (for set of aces), asian guy has K clubs, for nut flush draw.


Flush comes on river, knocking out old guy.


Question: Both in books and personal experience, Aces either win a little or lose a lot. In this case, being a tourney, shouldn't one just make a big bet before the flop with aces making the opponent pay for being a big dog preflop. In this case, despite getting a near perfect flop, he lost a lot. I wouldn't even call it a bad beat, though the commentators did.


Any comments

He got all chips in with wayyyyyyyyy the best of it... the flush draw has only got 9 out twice and the set of aces has got redraws as well.


When very shorthanded you sometimes have to take risks with aces... if the flop had been K high top pair is going to be very hard to release 3 handed.


It seems alot of people are results driven.. if this case had occurred 100 straight times... the set would have won about 70 times... I think he played it perfectly.

I think there is a flaw in your argument. Your basic point seems to be that with aces, when the money goes in you're not particularly happy, so you should just try to pick up the pot pre-flop. The problem is, aces is probably the happiest hand to have. When you have suited/connecting cards and make a straight or flush, usually the money goes in against a set or two pair, or maybe pair plus a better draw. So you are rarely a lock (only case is really against worse made hand of same type). However, with aces it's worst case sceneraio. Even against a made hand you have plenty of outs, you're a big favorite here with just a draw, and often you are crushing your opponent with set over set and only one out. The problem with aces I think is more going all-in with just an overpair, but that's just a matter or not being able to release a good but not great hand. Just my opinion.

I too seen this on ESPN, coupla months ago. It was the World Poker Open. The old man was Brian Moore and the oriental John Juanda. I liked the old man's slowplay here, he played it right, just got unlucky. However a few hands before this he made a move at a pot against Juanda. I believe from watching the whole broadcast that Moore was bluffing in this spot and the oriental could've busted him out there. I guess he couldn't hear me chanting "CALL,CALL,CALL" because he mucked his medium pocket pair face-up. He still won the tourney though Seemed like a good player.