A-K -- A little frisky?

[PokerBabe(aka)]

Mirage "rounders" 10-20 game yesterday. A solid player raises UTG+2. Folded to the cutoff who calls. I have AA on the button and 3bet. Initial raiser (IR) calls as does cutoff. Flop is A, x,x rainbow. IR bets out, cutoff folds, I raise, IR 3bets, I 4bet and am called. Turn is a blank. IR bets, I raise and am called. River is a blank. IR bets again, I raise and am called. IR turns over A,K as though it is good. /forums/images/icons/confused.gif IMO, IR overplays this hand. Comments?

[brad]

if he knows for sure sure you would never 3 bet with a small pocket pair for a set on the flop then i like his play except i would check the river just in case i was wrong. heh.

brad

He shouldn't bet/call the river unless he's playing a complete live wire -- in which case a check-raise-call might be better. I've seen that hand played out it seems thousands of times -- where the player with position has AA, the person up front has AK, they are both tight and aggressive, and the person up front over does is it for no reason, against the wrong person. AK has to defer to position on the river, it will cost him one bet so far fewer than it costs him two, that it isn't even close.

The late pos. player is saying they have or can beat AK, if they don't/can't, they are often inclined to continue the charade on the river -- if they do check a worse hand behind, well, they practically paid for the lost river bet by compelling money in on the turn with 3 or fewer outs.

[Rick Nebiolo]

Pokerbabe,

If he was fishy, he was only about one big bet fishy.

Pretend I don’t know your hand but know your game (since I’m a “2+2 rounder”).

Before the flop if I was in his place I lose maybe more one or two more bets since I might even reraise.

Given the pre-flop play, on the flop I play the same, more or less.

On the turn I play it the same way.

On the river I probably check-call.

When a player holds AK and the flop comes an ace rainbow and the AK runs into a set it’s going to lose some money. If it doesn’t, it isn’t making enough when it is ahead of an aggressive player.

Regards,

Rick

He obviously forgot the first rule of playing against "The Babe" If I raise on the turn, I have the best hand, and you better hope you catch on the river or get outta the hand.

paul

[Clarkmeister]

If he had any player knowledge at all I think he should have mucked to your 4 bet on the flop. I certainly think he should muck to your turn raise. When the Babe raises, she means business.

[Mark Heide]

PokerBabe,

If I was UTG+2 it would be four bets. I'd play the flop and turn the same, and check call the river.

The reason why I like to make it four bets preflop is to drive out the other player that just called my initial raise.

I think IR was just unlucky that you had pocket aces. With an A-rag-rag flop, I would put you on AQ, or AK, with a small possibility of having a pair of aces. Once the flop comes down with an ace, there is only one combination of aces, six combinations of AK, and eight combinations of AQ. So, it's 14-to-1 that you have aces. You usually should feel pretty good when you have AK and see an ace on the flop, unless some fish calls all those raises with a pocket pair and makes a set.

Good Luck

Mark