worst played pocket rockets ever.

[bad beetz]

I open raise UTG with AA. I have raised the last 3 hands (KQs, AKo, AK, and now aces).

all fold to philipino lady. She three bets with an angry defiant movement. She has a very good hand.

I smooth call heads up like a f*cking moron to trap her for a turn raise.

Flop comes KQ7, suits irrelevant.

I check, she checks.

turn is something, I'm pretty sure neither of us cared what it was.

I bet, she raises. I think I have to muck here. that raise says, "no, my three bet wasn't ace-king,"

add that to the flop check, and it's 99.595% a slowplayed KK or QQ. I should have four bet preflop and if she goes one more I could know damn good and sure it's kings. It was kings. I payed off like a b*tch praying for an ace.

I should have four bet preflop and folded to one bet on the flop. I hate myself.

[Inthacup]

I open raise UTG with AA.

You've already proven the title of your post wrong. When I FIRST started playing(pre-books, pre-2+2) I'd limp with AA all the time planning to slowplay until the turn. How about that for poker strategery.

About the rest of your post, looks like a vent where you didn't trust your read. Some posters will tell you that you have outs on the turn, your hand is too strong and yada yada yah. If you have a solid read(which it seems you did) then fold the turn, and consider yourself disciplined. I agree, raise preflop and raise some more. If there was no limit on the number of raises I could make, I'd be looking to raise till I'm all-in every time.

[haakee]

I agree, raise preflop and raise some more. If there was no limit on the number of raises I could make, I'd be looking to raise till I'm all-in every time.

Every time I think about slowplaying AA preflop heads-up I remember the guy who went 13 bets with me with KK. I don't like the preflop deception here.

[Louie Landale]

You have an EXCELLENT opportunity to slow play this one. You appear to have been screwing around against someone who knows it and has a good hand. Just call pre-flop and try to put in as much money as possible later.

Yes, it SURE looks like a set. But it looks like a set when she CHECKS the flop; the turn raise just confirms it. After she checked the flop, I would go into check-and-call mode.

But no, this is not anywhere near the "worst played AA ever"...

My REALLY tight-aggressive Friend (he's tighter and more aggressive than me, which is saying something) and I were in a game with a maniac. Maniac once when 7 bets on the turn with a small flush DRAW when the board was paired. Friend once when 5 bets on the turn with 2nd pair, driving out the little old lady with top pair. He routinely over-plays all his hands. Live guy went 9 bets with me once preflop with KJs. Great game. Nobody except Friend, me, and maniac are ever getting the last bet in. Friend and I took turns multi-betting top pair against him. Cha Ching. Before the session Friend says he's been on a roll lately.

Then the hand in question. I raised UTG, maniac 3-bets, Friend 4-bets, I fold, maniac doesn't like it and calls. I don't blame him, I wouldn't like Friend 4-betting after I 2-bet UTG. Flop is T97. Maniac checks, Friend bets, maniac doesn't like it and calls. I wonder if Maniac even has a straight draw. Maybe he's got 52s and a 3-flush. Turn is 6. Maniac squirms and checks, Friend Bets, and Maniac squirms and tanks ... and finally turns his AA face up and announces "He only plays the nuts, so he must have an 8" and folds!! Friend blenches outload, snorting coffee out his nose onto his chips, and turns pale. I think he was wondering how many bets he'd have given the live guy with his QQ. I also blenched, out the other end (thank goodness for Shout-It-Out). Nobody else seemed to think anything was wrong. I say "Say, you ARE on a roll".

- Louie

[Bob T.]

Well, you raised preflop, and then checked a very scary flop. I don't think you come close to the worst played aces ever. I think you when you get checked behind on the flop, I would check/call, check/call. It seems likely that the check on the flop is a set, but I wouldn't trust that enough to fold my hand, unless I knew the player well.

[marbles]

Aces can make for an ugly bride indeed. Don't feel too bad about this one, though... I've seen much worse.

For a pick-me-up, feel free to read my post from the other day on bringing a knife to a gunfight. I'm sure you played better here than I did on that one.

[Inthacup]

You have an EXCELLENT opportunity to slow play this one.

I have to disagree here Louie. After raising the last 4 hands, if there were ever a time you could 4-bet and not get the respect of rockets, it would be here. I'd be willing to bet that KK would go 5-6 bets at least here before slowing down preflop. If this player had been raising with hands like A10 or KJs UTG and his opponent noticed, then I agree, this is a great time to slowplay. But putting in the 5th raise in a row has officially moved you into the maniac category. Might as well milk it early while they think you're raising with cheese.


BTW, I get ulcers just thinking about the game you described.

[Bob T.]

I agree, there is nothing I love more than getting a big pocket pair when I have been raising preflop more than what might be expected. Raise it, and see if they finally decide to make a stand against the maniac.

[Louie Landale]

OK I concede. Capping doesn't reveal your strength.

The game I described was a great one because there was only one maniac, and I only go several bets when I want to: I don't have to worry about the maniacs going several bets when I have a weak hand. THAT gives me ulcers.

- Louie

[bad beetz]

I feel so confident with the read of "3 bet preflop, then check though a flop of KQ7" as being a set of kings or queens that I would fold to one bet anywhere. since I didn't put in another bet preflop, she could have AK, but when she checks the flop through, that's the real tell, because she would even bet pocket deuces in this situation when checked to.

I should have checked and folded to one bet, saying something like "pocket nines no good. ni hand."

[Ulysses]

I should have checked and folded to one bet

No, no, no.

My main point of contention is everyone saying that the flop check behind really smells like a set. Perhaps I just play in more aggressive games, but from my experience, a 3-bet pre-flop and check behind on this board is more likely to be nothing or an underpair than it is likely to be a set. Sure, sometimes it's a set, but folding AA to one bet in this situation is just wrong.

[Mike Gallo]

I don't know if I could lay down there. Did she think you raised too many hands? Could she have also three bet with 99? Did she know what hands you raised with?

Preflop I do not think you made a bad play by smooth calling. She has position on you, so can check raise her on a later street. You could even bet get raised then check raise the turn or river.

I would check call and hope she overplayed AK or AQ.

I don't think you misplayed this hand.