Playing AA on first hand

[ChrisCo]

It is the first hand of a 20+2 SNG and I get AA in the sb. About 5 limpers to me and I decide to move all in. My reasoning for this is that I have no reads on my opponent and I have no idea what hands the limpers will call raises with so I dont want anyone to hit a freak two pair and lose my whole stack on the first hand. Also I think that there is about a 50 50 chance that I will get a call and will most likely double up. Once I do that the first couple ep limpers fold and then I get 1 mp caller. He flips over 55(?!?!) and I proceed to double up when no 5 hits. Good or bad play?
After this play this one person at the table tells me what a horrible move that was and that I must have not been playing poker that long. After she said that someone chimes in that they hit two pair on the flop and turned a boat. Needless to say the table coach that was telling me that I was a beginner went bust in the first levels after chasing a gutshot and moving all in on a draw.

[Jonathan]

you played it perfectly

[SossMan]

I love doing this in a smallish buy in SnG. Because there are so many "double up or go start a new tourney" specialists in these things, you will get calls from almost any PP, many Aces, JTs, etc...
If they all fold, well, you start with a nice pot.
As for the chatter....I would tell them that you just started and thought that you had to go all in when you hold the nuts.

[Pitcher]

Sossman.....LMAO about having to go all in with the nuts....

This tactic works on every level (I did it today on the 2nd hand of a $200 tourney and got a call from AQo). I would mix it up, but I do this frequently with very good results.

Pitcher

[HC5831]

I've been wondering if pusing all in PF would work well at the 50-200 SnG's. I've been getting in trouble w/AA. I'll raise 3-5x the pot and get no callers because I play so tight in the few few levels. Which is no good. Or I'll get called and can't lay down the hand on a non threatening board and have their trips or 2 pr bust me early.

I've resorted to trying to limp w/AA and going all in to any raiser. If there is no raiser, as was the case today: I got 5 callers, blinds 10/15. Flop comes 633 and I'm in MP. SB bets pot for 75, BB goes all in for 900. The SB could very well be betting a 6, but the all in screams to me 3. Although he could be betting an over pair. He didn't give me any reason to think he's a maniac, so I lay my aces down because I didn't want to take the chance. The more I think about it, the more I think he had an overpair, but I don't think folding was too bad of a move. SB folds and BB takes down the pot.

I kick myself for not raising PF and play on, finishing 2nd. This was in a $50+5 SnG at Party. Would be going all in and hoping for a maniac caller be better than limping and hoping for a raise? I thought there was a chance for a raise, and in the next 10 hands, people raised with all kinds of marginal hands. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

HC