ace rag offsuit in the SB...+ or - EV?

[hypermegachi]

say 1 or 2 people limp, and you have ace rag offsuit in the SB. is it profitable enough in the long run to call the half bet and hope to flop aces up?

[Grisgra]

In a SH game you don't need aces up to scoop the pot, my good man! I haven't checked my PT stats on these, and I know that my open-raising with A7o and lower has . . . well, not really been +EV /images/graemlins/grin.gif, but I can't imagine that completing with A-rag offsuit is -EV.

[Trix]

I could imagine it, not sure though and dont have enough hand to tell. A 2/5 structure doesn´t help either.

[Your Mom]

I usually dump Ace rag if rag is lower than 7. I'll usually complete A8o and A9o and raise any better Ace of course. I will at times raise A9o and maybe A8o against the right opponent(s). When you play Axo, you really are hoping just to pair your ace. That is usually good enough to win the pot. Unfortunately, you really only have 3 outs. If you pair your rag, you may be good but probably not against 2/3 other players. Even if you are good, it is hard to like your hand too much so you aren't going to win a whole lot and may even get knocked off the best hand. If your opponents are tight on the flop, then I guess you could complete and bet about any flop. I just don't think this will work very well against the 5/10 SH Party opponents that I know.

[helpmeout]

I feel exactly the same way, A8o is usually good cos A9o or better is usually a raise out of the blinds.

A7o and lower though is trash against a lot of opponents cos a pair of 7s is very rarely best and your Ace is much more likely to be outkicked.

[Grisgra]

I have about 500 hands in my PT database where I limped in the SB with A8s or worse. Overall BB/100 is -0.05, which is much better than that -0.20 I'd be getting if I folded them all.

Before you ask, I'm actually doing worse with A8o and A7o -- I'm "in the green", that is, +EV, with A5 down to A2.

[wheelz]

I was actually just going to post this same question...

I've found that I'm rarely outkicked when I pair my ace. I think completing with these hands is OK, but I feel so dirty playing weak aces...

[Michael Davis]

Weak aces in limped pots are gold in the small blind. Just make sure you come out betting every time the flop texture is right.

-Michael

[Jeff W]

Against two limpers, I fold Axo where x<7.
Against one limper, I complete A2o.

I believe these are modestly profitable if you play well post flop.

[kiddo]

Limping with Axo is normally good. You pay 1/6 or 1/8 of the pot - depending on players - and hit an Ace 1/6 and a lower pair 1/6. And if u hit A there often is no kickerproblems because they limped.

Playing weak As in SB at 5/10 I am losing -0.05, didnt check 10/20.

Playing Axo for a raise in BB is much more tricky.

[Peter_rus]

I complete with Axo if only 1 limper ahead of me and it will be 3-way. If 2 limpers i complete A8o+ and dump the rest with 10/20 structure.