Frustrating AA hand

This is a hand that left me feeling like a pathetic after it was over. I'll explain what happened, and then why I did it.


9 person 3/6 table, 4 midrange players, 1 extreme loose and wild, 3 good players


I'm in the cutoff with AA.


Loose calls $3, good raises to $6, good calls $6, midrange calls $6, midrange folds, I called $6, button called $3 (button time charge counts as a bet, so he only had to call $3), SB folds, BB calls, Loose calls. -- 7 BBs in pot


Flop comes 10 9 7o


Blind checks, Loose bets, Raiser calls, Good player raises to $6, Midrange calls $6, I call, Blind drops, loose calls, Good player calls (preflop raiser) -- 12 BBs in pot


Turn comes 5o


Loose checks, good player checks, good player bets $6, Midrange folds, I call, Loose calls, Good player folds. -- 15 BBs in pot


River comes 6o


Loose mucks before action, good player bets $6, I call.


--- Why I did it ---


Preflop: No one who had put $3 into the pot had folded to raises so far at this table, so I knew I couldn't shake anyone but the SB with a raise. I also hate playing AA against a bunch of ppl, so I figured the safest thing was just to see what the flop brought. I figured a premium hand for the raiser, highsuited or pkt pair for the good player caller, and random holding for everyone else.


Flop: Loose player would bet anything at all -- she had not looked at her cards for the last few hands. The raiser called, so I figured overcard draw. The other good player now raises. From this I'd put her on A10s, JJ, a set, or maybe 10,9s -- If she had KK or QQ I would think she'd re-raise preflop to isolate as much as possible. Midrange caller could be on the str8 draw. At this point I considered raising to scare out the EP players and see how strong a holding the raiser had. However, I hestitated while my hand was moving and I crossed the bet line with only $6 in my hand, so I was forced to call.


Turn: At this point, I had three options: call to the river, raise and hope for a free showdown, or fold. Since raising here might have scared the drawers, I think this is what I should have done. If I got 3-bet, I might be able to lay it down. Either way, I opted to call and see what the other two would do.


River: Not worrying about the loose player, I had to call. If my read was right I will take a nice pot, if not, I won't loose too much. At this point I would have been more upset about mucking it when she had JJ or A10 than I would be about spending another $6.


So --


What should I have done? I am sure I should have raised at some point, but when do I give up? Or should I ever give up with that board? Seems like I should have 3-bet the flop and then what.. check the turn if it gets back to me? or call if it's bet to me again? What if the flop is 4-bet, should I drop there, or hope to spike an Ace?


Please flame away .. This is the kind of hand that I tend to not lose too much on, but I always feel really weak afterward.


Results: My read was correct-- almost. Aggressor had a set, pkt 10's.

PREFLOP:


Preflop: No one who had put $3 into the pot had folded to raises so far at this table, so I knew I couldn't shake anyone but the SB with a raise.


Eliminating players is not the only reason to raise, and it is probably the most useless/ineffective one in a loose game like this. Raise because it makes you money.


I would always put in the 3rd bet here. 5-7 way for 3 bets is a good position for the AA. Not in terms of win rate, although you will win much more than your fair share, but in terms of profitability.


FLOP:


Your analysis is good, but you don't act on it. Raise *to make more money*. Don't be clouded by the results. The majority of the time in this position with this action your hand is good.

Ok, you need to raise the before the flop, you make money for every dollar that goes in. You need to raise the flop, and re-raise if raised. You are probably best and want to eliminate drawing hands or make them pay. Raise the river, it's unlikely anyone has better than aces up or has a 6. But see how your not raising earlier has clouded the situation? You are left with no idea what anyone has when you should have taken the initiative in the first place. If you don't 3-bet before the flop with AA, what do you do it with? Also, you would have had control of your hand. Play big hands hard.


Jeff

There's nothing easier in Hold'em than deciding to raise with AA pre-flop. If you aren't doing this, then you're playing with the wrong philosophy. You being to timid.


There was nothing you could do to make the TT fold before the flop so it was inevitable that you would lose to his set. But that's not what you need to remember from this hand. Remember this: When you've got AA....Raise! Raise! Raise!


And in the long run, you'll make a bundle.

Get as much money as possible with AA pre-flop. Gotta make them pay. A board like the one you mentioned makes me a little weary


Flop comes 10 9 7o


Since I play perdominatly $3-$6 I'm constantly thinking what my other players may have called my raises with. The conditions you described would leave me to beleive that I'm already facing someone who's willing to call with J-8 (hey--it's Soooted), pocket 10's, pocket 9's, pocket 7's (any pocket pair for that matter) or 10-9, 7-8, QJ or any other 2 connectors (sooted and unsooted).


If the turn doesn't improve get out and save your bets for another hand. I learned my lesson years ago about releasing AA based on the texture of the flop and knowing what your opponents play in certain situations.


And there will be many other opportunities to score with AA.


Just a thought.

Agreed. I raise 100% of the time with aces. You only get them every 6 hours so why "mix it up". Every simgle time I can chuck more chips in the pot, I do so, both preflop, and in this case on the flop and even on the turn. In this case the 10s are going to burn you, but nothing you can do about that - it's a rarity.


This is a preflop rule that took some time for me to understand.....You have the best hand, you WANT more money in the pot.


As a side note, I won 2 pots the other night because I raised preflop and someone slowplayed a KK behind me and just called. In both cases I couldn't put them on a serious hand (anything better than top pair - top kicker) and sucked out to win both pots. If they had revealed their strength preflop, however, I would have released both times on the flop. In addition, they allowed other players in who could have caught and beat them as well.


I am a firm believer that if you don't raise when you have an opportunity with a big pocket pair (QQ, KK, AA) then any "bad luck" that comes your way is your own fault. Showing weakness and inviting callers is going to...well...invite callers. And sometimes those callers are gonna getcha!

lets see....

Pre-flop: Nobody is folding to pre-flop raises so you choose to not increase the amount of money in the pot when you have the best possible hand. This is reminiscent of the idiots I hear at the table saying "nobody's going to fold so why should I bet?". You bet because you have the best hand and you want the most possible money in the pot. Also, you said you don't like to play AA against a lot of people, so you choose to not 3 bet? Even if they don't fold to the raise 3 betting pre-flop takes control of the hand. Then when the flop comes rags and gets checked around you fire and people will fold(or if someone bets you insta-raise). Yeah I know someone flopped a set but that doesn't make your play right. I'm so disgusted by this that I'm not going to bother to discuss the rest of your play. You forgot one description, passive pisser in the cutoff.