against an ace

when you are playing against an ace for a doorcard you are fighting a hand if the ace is paired your under pair is in big trouble. but when a player is pushing an ace, it is also the card that most likely a player will push without having a pair. so there are two sides to the coin. play accordingly based on your opponents style.

OK Ray, what about in a game like 1-5 with no ante. You are sitting behind the A with a pair of split Kings and the Ace raises. Unless the player always raises on an Ace, what should you do assuming his cards and your cards are live? I would tend towards folding in the no ante games, but would play in a high ante game.


How high does the ante need to be for you to "chase" the Ace?

I think as difficult a question as it might be to answer, the most important question is what % of time will this player not have a pair of aces in this spot. Then all decisions fall in place.

you will be around a two to one dog to beat the aces, so you wont chase ever really. but in few games will you ever be sure that is exactly what he has. but you are correct in low ante games and thats where most times when they raise they "have it". in these games its best to not chase down a raise with a higher board card than your pair.

Not exactly. What's important is a distribution of his possible hands - is he a "situation" stealer, or a stealer who raises based on some hand value (a semi-bluffer).


In other words, if you are always against either a pair or a live 3 flush or 3 overcards to your pair or a wired pair, you should mostly fold, even if he raises with all these (I haven't done the math, but the point is you are either a modest favorite or a bad dog, and you won't know which).


But if it's a player that raises with aces, but with lousy hole cards also as a pure steal, then you will get to exercise some big edges in return, and it is far more likely to be worth playing the hand, esp. if he will keep firing with a bad hand.


So there's more to it than how often he will raise - it's how often you will get a big egde from playing.


Dan Z.

Yup, except the sweet case I'm rolled it's hard to call (with a lower pair) a raising ace with confidence.

But If he's bluffing he is in a bad spot since he has to act first. almost all the times I bluffed representing a split pair of aces (that I didn't have) I lost the pot and, oh oh, the things didn't go better with a hidden pair of those aces, because weak players don't put me on that strong starting hand (I show a low-medium doorcard) and good players immediately look at my board if it shows a pair (and they easily fold)


In my experience I tried to chase a probable pair of aces (with a lower high pair) when my pair has additional value (I gained much better this information here in this forum) such as a (Ks-Qh)Kh hoping to catch hearts, a Queen or a ten-jack or a card which could make my board scare.


Marco

Ray,

What about 7CS/8? Ace could be low.

I was in 20-40 game, $3 ante, $5 bring in, full table (8 players). 2 brings in. On his left As completes to 20. All fold to me. 6c door, QcQs in hole. My cards are live. I am getting 2.5 to 1 from the pot. Is it worth calling to see fourth street?

not this particular time. he has to have a hand as he raised first in and into at least two low door cards.

Ray,

I just reread page 30 in your Hi-Lo book, "When an Ace Raises". It is explained well there.


In the game, I folded. But, it bothered me and I wanted to make sure I did the right thing.


Thanks