too agressive?

[BillC]

I am playng a loose-agressive (many capped pf)10-20 game in Vancouver (Holiday inn) with
Two solid players to my left, everyone else loose.
I am on the button and get ATo. It is called by
an EP player, and a MP player.

I raise to get out the two solid players in the blinds.
too agressive?

Unfortunately, they both call. Even worse, the EP raises and the MP caps.
I silently kick myself.

Flop comes AKx rb.

SB check, BB bets, fold, fold. I then raise representing AK. too agressive?

Turn comes a T! Yeah. Check, bet, I raise; fold. BB calls.

It is heads-up and the river is a Q. We check it down.

Comments? Results to follow.

[Pot-A]

Way too agressive. In a game like that you can afford to play super, super tight, since the blinds are tiny compared to the size of the pot.

You have position, but ATo is a lousy hand. I'm thinking you probably took this one down, but if so you were lucky.

[Diplomat]

Hey Bill,

I think you played it fine post-flop, but I'd consider a fold pre-flop when it comes back capped...then again, it's the Hoooolliday Inn, so it's pretty tough to put a player on a decent hand when this happens. A pre-flop raise is a good idea for the reason you mentioned.

Man I miss that place sometimes. Who was the solid player in the hand with you?

-Diplomat

[BillC]

One of them was a local cantonese-speaker with a
(Hong K /forums/images/icons/mad.gif ong?) british accent, 25-30 y.o.

I lost the hand--the sb folded AQ (or so he says, mumbling sthg about being outplayed) on the turn and the BB showed AQ.

[elysium]

hi bill
ATo against an EP is not strong enough for entry bill. but when it comes two bets back to you, and you call, whew....you need to freshen up a little. read hfap and top. that ones a pretty clear fold. don't like losing a lot on that one. reread hfap and top.

[BillC]

I'm aware of the standard advice about hand like AT,
but this game was screwy with a lot of betting with nearly
random hands.

Does that change how you play AT?

[Pot-A]

Yes. I'm more likely to throw it away.

The way to beat a game like this is to come in with the best hand every time. The pots are large, so you don't have to win more than a couple in the course of an evening to make a decent return, as long as you don't bleed too much out by seeing too many flops.

I put the lever on "extra super tight" and wait for a big pair or big suited connector. The real problem with a hand like ATo is the pot becomes so large you can't lay your top pair/bad kicker down unless it's obvious you're drawing dead. All you need to do in a wild game is get sucked into a 6-outer a few times and it's off to the bar. So choose your weapon carefully.

If you want to play a hand like ATo, find a tight passive game so you can use your position to steal when everybody else misses the flop.

[elysium]

hi bill
if you can isolate 1 of these opponents bill, AT is playable from the CO, and you would raise in of course. but if 2 solid opponents remain to act behind you, or two screwy opponents limp in, then you shouldn't enter in with the AT. ideally, you would like to SR from the CO, but really bill, that's about it. if you have that maniac on your immediate right, and he's first in with no strong players behind you, although those players behind you can be tight, but not calling station type or strong, then raise to isolate. AT is fairly strong in that situation, but notice all the conditions needed. whew....a lot. AJ is much better to take on multiple limpers with. but AT is really on par level with A9. the straight that AT makes is very faulty. AT makes a straight that can really get expensive when confronted by a full-house of KQ, QJ, and KJ. also, KQJ often winds up being split or more often than not, folded to when you raise. AJ only has KQ compacting, and has greater implied value because its straight is more hidden. and the J kicker assist helps too. AT is very popular and hard to get away from.