4-8 AA in SB. Good play or lucky play?

4-8 Bellagio.


Game has been tight, so I am shocked to see 5 limpers to me in my SB (one was a poster in the cutoff). I look down and see black AA. I raise, BB and the other 5 all call. 7 see the flop for 2 bets each.


Flop: Kh 9h 4h


I check, BB and UTG check. EP bets. 2 callers and a fold to me. While this was going on I "rechecked" my hole cards, knowing they were both black. With only callers to me, I decide my hand is good and decide to put the fear of god in them. I checkraise.


Only the original bettor calls. Both who called after him the first time folded. 2 of us to the turn, 10BB in the pot.


Turn: [Kh 9h 4h] 8c


I bet, EP folds.


Good flop play or lucky?

Well, you clearly had the best hand. I think you should have led out on the flop. Given that you checked the flop, a check-raise is fine but leaving yourself open for multiple bets on a flop where someone could have a flush or at least drawing to one. If the bet came from late position i would be more inclined to check-raise because you would now be in a better position to clear out the field and it is less likely the better has a strong hand because of the fact that with so many checking a late better could be more inclined to bet a lesser hand sensing weakness. From early position with a few callers i would be more leary that even if my hand is good it is extremely vulnerable and just call and get out cheap if a heart hits the turn. Also if it was a very conservative player i would be apprehensive about check-raising and just call and lead at the turn as long as a heart doesn't hit.

good flop play. very nice. how do ya know?...if you bet you may have had 3 callers to the turn, if the other guy doesnt raise.


b

Here's why: You defined the table. It's been very tight. So most are probably decent players. When you looked back at your hand & checkraised you represented 2 things: BIG pocket pair & a big heart! Good players will read it this way anyways and muck if they are drawing dead. This is what Ibelieve happened. Try that in northern california tho and somebody with a backdoor str8 draw will call ya down. ; 0

I am a little surprised that somebody bet with less than a flush on the flop. With your pre-flop raise and post flop check, I would have been thinking checkraise. I think the play was fine, just surprised it worked. By the way, did they close the Mirage.

It's open and business is fine. I play at Bellagio one day a week usually and go back and forth between 8-16 and 4-8 there. This happened to be such a day.

Playing 4/8, the deception you gain by checking Pre-Flop won't be worth losing the equity. Good raise.


On the Flop, the only option to betting is check-raising (hopefully a LP player). Once you commit, then see that you can confront the BB and UTG with a double bet, why wouldn't you?


Make the Q and especially the J Hearts sweat a little.


The two Flop callers folding to your raise is not all luck. They both may have had small pocket pairs with no Set on board. Given the K, many tight players may fold in this spot.


The luck was EP folding the Turn!

21Kid