AA against KK

[Chris Daddy Cool]

hi guys its been a while since i've posted here but here's a situation i thought was interesting.

5/10 at party

i'm dealt [A,A]4 and am the bring in and I complete. I'm called by a K and a 9.

4th street.
K makes open kings and 9 makes open nines and i catch a blank.

KK bets. 99 folds. I decide to call down the whole way and raise the river with aces up or better. good right?

[Michael Emery]

uhhhhh.......no. Not usually good at all unless you are certain this player plays any three and will do so for a full bet. I'm guessing your main reasoning was that since he didnt raise to $10 he probably dosent have the kings. While it might sound odd many players in that game will just call your $5 with split kings. Dont ask me what their reasoning is for doing so, but some will. The fact that the King made open kings and bet right into the other paired doorcard dosent look good either.

Sure sometimes you'll be right and throw away the best hand to Kings and a three flush or a hand like (QJ)KK. But all in all, calling down in these situations is going to drain your bankroll. Why take the risk and chase to the river being slightly ahead or damn near locked out. Its better to just move on to the next hand. Another thing to consider is that against a soild player your hand is going to be pretty transparent if you call. There are better situations to get your money in there.

Mike Emery

[SittingBull]

FOLDING. If he comes over the top,then it's best to release the hand. Personnally I would buy one more card on 4th . Usually at these limits,players have what they represent. If he considered U rolled up,he would NOT usually come over the top. I do NOT believe that he is rolled up. I think he would attempt to enlarge the pot before popping it. By just calling,UR not making any effort to define his hand. Hence,it's more difficult to read what he actually has.
But all things considered,I would say that UR a favorite on 4th--BUT not by much if he is a STR8 shooter--plays generally by the book.
I have a "gut" feeling that U took it down. /images/graemlins/smile.gif
HappyPokering, /images/graemlins/smile.gif
SittingBull

[Andy B]

If my Aces are live, I bring it in for the minimum with the intention of jacking it when it comes back to me unless the table is hopelessly loose-passive.

If your opponent just calls with Kings, there is a good chance that he stinks and calls with a broad range of hands. So either way, I don't think that you should be overly fearful of trips. Even if his calling standards are reasonable, you're in good shape if he started with a three-flush or KQJ, and decent shape if he started with a small pocket pair. Obviously, if he does have trips, you're in trouble, but I think going into call-down mode is fine.

Mike is concerned that KK bet right into 99 (not to mention into you). Well, who doesn't bet open Kings on fourth street? I don't think this makes it any more scary, really.

I would not raise the river with Aces up. It is correct for the other guy to value-bet Kings-up on the river most of the time, but an awful lot of players won't do it. I would want trips or better to raise the river against most opponents.

[Michael Emery]

[ QUOTE ]

If your opponent just calls with Kings, there is a good chance that he stinks and calls with a broad range of hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your right, most players in this game actually do stink Andy. But I think your extending his "broad range of hands" a little too far here if your advocating calling down in this small pot. Like I originally said, it might not make much sense but there are plenty of opponents that will just call with split Kings when its brought in for a full bet. This is not a game that contains a lineup of of 2+2 players. Some players might be scared because it was brought in for a full bet, which is usually a rarity. Some just play weak-tight. Some aggressive players might want to be tricky and get aggressive later. As you know some players (wrongfully of course) think that when they get a premium holding like Kings they want to keep everyone in to pay them off.

Most players forget its much more likely to be dealt split pairs then pocket pairs, three-flushes, or three-straits. When your opponent pairs his doorcard, assuming he played one of these possible holdings on third, he will have for every twenty times: Trips=8 times, Two-pair=5 times, A pair and a three-flush=4 times, and a pair and a three strait=3 times. His "broad range of hands" would have to be much larger than this spectrum to advocate calling four more streets. Calling down paired doorcards for full bets in small pots isnt +EV.

Mike Emery