AA in small blind

You are in the small blind and to your delight get AA. This delight quickly turns sour as you watch seven players call the big blind. What do u do? Raise hoping for an A or just call hoping to check raise on flop or turn to try to limit the players?

you raise for value and hope someone else reraises, so you can cap it. take a look at the flop if it isnt too scary then you should bet and see where it goes. If there are any flush or stright draws and lots of action, you might have to lay those bad boys down.

might as well raise,most will call at the lower limits. If its raised before it gets to you do you reraise or call?

I can't think of any circumstance where I won't raise with AA pre-flop in a low-limit game.


Bobby

if it's raised before you,


no questions asked, reraise! You WANT to limit the field here...... I don't think calling is ever right with a field in and a raise...


- Tony

YEs, if it was raised I would have reraised, however in this case the pot was just called. If I raise everyone will call and the amount of money in the pot would keep everyone in on the flop increasing probability of someone hitting two pairs. By not raising, I keep the pot amount down and hope to limit the field once the flop comes.

Almost true, however, If I raise everyone will call. That will increase the pot amount by a lot. On the flop I would have no chance of limiting the field (with so much money in the pot) thereby increasing the liklihood of someone hitting two pairs. By not raising I think I am increasing the chances that I win the pot.


Of course other option is to raise and go for a big pot if I can hit trips.

Another way to think of it....


Assume, you have two choices. Go all in for 100 units, or call for 1 unit, and go all in for 99 additional units on the flop. Everyone has this choice.


Assume it's a low limit weak game, and the table limps in for 1 unit. You're in the Big Blind.


With AA, you'll win more than 10% of the time. You want to go all-in preflop.


With something like 7To, you'll win less than 10% of the time, and you'd rather check, and go allin on the flop for 99 units if you hit.


There's hands inbetween this. For example, small pairs like 66 and 88, you want to be in for 1 units preflop, and go all-in for 99 units post-flop if you hit (assuming a lot of people will call postflop the 99 unit bet).


In the situation we're discussion, raising AA preflop, if even for just 1 additional unit, approximates going all-in preflop more than just checking. Now, for deception purposes, it might be incorrect to raise with AA, but in most cases, raising AA, even into a field of callers, seems to be the right thing to do. Depending on the flop, you can check-call to the river, or check-raise, or bet out. By raising preflop, you get this:


1. 20 units preflop, maybe 30-50 units of action postflop.


instead of:


2. 10 units preflop action, maybe 25-40 units of action postflop (due to people folding since the "pots not as big", you check-raising a late position better, etc...).


Option 1 balances the units more preflop than postflop, which is what you want with AA... right? What do people think of this? Remember, this is assuming a lower limit table with a lot of fish (if that many people limped, it's probably a good assumption)


- Tony

I understand your logic, that being; if everyone is in for only 1 bet they will more likely fold on the flop, than they would if they are in for 2 bets.


But what is wrong with that?


Well you might say the more people in the more likely someone will hit with their garbage hole cards and beat you. While this is true thinking about it the way "KA" said makes some sense.


Look, this is the best pre-flop hand you can have, you are way ahead of everyone before the flop comes, and you may still be way ahead after the flop.


If the flop really sucks for you then scale back, if not then full speed ahead.


Finally your AA is going to win a lot more than it is going to lose. If there are 8 players in. You are going to win that pot more than 12.5% of the time.


I would raise almoat always, and call once in a great great while in the same situation to mix things up.


You are going to win way more than you are going to lose even if more players stay in post-flop because of your raise.


Remember, it's not the pots you win but how much money you win that makes you a winner.


Benevolently,


Yvonne

Well, according to the comments, raising seems to be the best play. I think calling is also a good play with 8 callers to be able to increase your chances of limiting the field on the flop but raising is obviously not a bad play.


I called. Flop was rainbow, no straights. I bet and to my delight the big blind raised which was perfect. Only 3 players saw the turn and I went on to win the pot with one pair of aces.


Thanks for your feedback.