You limp with ATo...then someone raises...ace flop...strategy thread

[RED_RAIN]

Say you limp with AT MP or so. Someone behind raises. Maybe 3-4 to the flop.

Flop comes A-8-4 monotone.

You suspect raise of a better ace. How do you play to find out? If you check/raise. He'll probably call down with AJ or AQ. So what's your play?

[Clarkmeister]

So why did you limp with ATo again?

I'm not a big "always raise or fold" guy, but ATo is pretty dang close to raise or fold.

[RED_RAIN]

UTG+1. Yes I've heard a lot about raising or foldinig this hand. At .5/1 I still don't think it's good enough to raise so perhaps folding. But regardless. How about post flop strategy. How do you find out or just call down which I don't think it the best play.

[Clarkmeister]

The standard play is to check-call the flop, check-call the turn and bet out on the river. By no means do you start spraying chips on the flop or turn trying to "find out where you are at".

[Trix]

Is that your standard play in a 3-4 way pot ?

[gojacketz]

Was your ten the same suit as the board?

Gojacketz

[Clarkmeister]

In a multiway pot you may have to be more aggressive. Also, if there is a 3rd person but the board is coordinated you may need to be aggressive. But once its headsup, you basically want exactly one bet to go in on every street.

But ideally it doesn't get very multiway. You should be raising this hand preflop and taking control. If you get 3-bet, that should narrow the field, and if you raised but weren't 3-bet, hopefully you have the best ace. But usually you should be in position on every street since you are raising preflop, which should also help make the hand easier to play.

[southerndog]

Clark, I've been folding this in these games. Is this too tight?

[Xiphoid]

I fold this PF, but if you're going to play it, at least raise here.

If you're playing .50-1.00 or 1-2 on Party, many poor players will play hands like AJo or AQo passively because they're afraid to put money into the pot. Also, a good player behind you with AKo/AKs/AQs/AJs and sometimes AQ and AJ will drill you by 3-betting if you raise here.

People say AQo is a trap hand... just think what ATo is...

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]

Clark, I've been folding this in these games. Is this too tight?

[/ QUOTE ]

In these loose LL games, you should fold ATo in EP and EMP. But once you get to the Button, the CO or the CO+1, it is a raising hand with 0 or 1 limpers to you. And from the button, you can raise with 2 weak limpers to you.

You should usually fold it in the BB to a raise, as you are too likely to be dominated. ATs you would obviously call.