Off-suit aces: how low do you go?

[Songwind]

I've set myself a bar of AJo in early position and A9o in late position for full-table play. And pretty much any Ax if I can check in the BB.

What do you do? How low will you play an A?o, and in which positions?

[ChicagoTroy]

[ QUOTE ]
And pretty much any Ax if I can check in the BB.

[/ QUOTE ]

I go down to 27o if I can check in the BB, but that's just me.

[CORed]

For weak aces, it really depends on whether you have limpers in front of you. I will open raise A2o in the SB and sometimes on the button, depending on opponents. If I have a limper in front, pretty much anything worse than A8o or A9o goes in the muck, even in late position. I will complete a 1/2 or better SB with just about any Axo with one limper. If you're opening, the chance of stealing or getting heads up with on over-defending blind makes even the weakest kickers playable.

[webiggy]

When playing these hands, you might want to ask yourself "what kind of flop do I want to see with these cards?"

Limping with AJo in EP is a dangerous proposition. You might want to muck this hand in EP and raise your playing requirements to AQo in EP and don't be afraid to raise with it about half the time. A9 in LP can also be tricky and is probably -EV since it has no three straight or flush possibilities. You need to make TPTK or two pair to win with this hand. Hitting top pair may make you a loser if the nine falls 'cause of possible overcards. Hitting Ace sucks for you because of the possibility of someone limping ahead of you with AT or AJ. Hitting two pair is like a 49:1 proposition. IMO, you're almost better off going for suited wheel hands (A2-A5)than playing A9o because you add the str8/fl possibilities if rags fall.

[F1ghtC1ub]

Ill go any A x suited in late position but I muck A 9 off, etc.

[astroglide]

EP: AJ
MP: AT
CO: A9

[cnfuzzd]

For those who play AJo in early position, what percentage of the time are you raising with it? This is one of those hands/positions when i claim to be mixing up my play because i am not really sure how i like to play it. It seems like raising with it is mostly going to push out hands that you already have beat, but limping feels so...dirty. Just curious.

peace

john nickle

[astroglide]

100%

[augie00]

A9o in any position will just bring you trouble. Don't bother with it, muck any ace worse than ATs.

[damn str8]

If the card gods are with you you can use an ace -rag,, any ace with a crappy kicker, but for the most point should be checked with a raise in mind ,early if it goes to the str8!otherwise just call and hope the table lets you in for cheap!! lol good luck /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[cnfuzzd]

<<<100% >>>>

Thats why i like astroglide. Short, sweet, and oh so lubricating.

peace

john nickle

[John Tesh]

Hehehe ... nice.

[SlyR]

Sklansky and Carson both have excellent advice on this matter. Here's my humble attempt at a 62-word paraphrase...

Any ace-nine or lower is dominated. When short-handed, however, any ace rises in value. Position is important. With perhaps one middle position limper you could play an Ace-ten on the button and even raise with it to drive out the blinds. Early callers spell trouble for almost any ace, even as high as AQ, especially in a tight game.

Personally, my requirements go down if the number of opponents is small and the opposition is weak or passive. Otherwise, AJ is my cutoff; and I don't even really like AJ. Hell, AK is a trouble hand for that matter.

Short answer: To play any offsuited Ace, you've got to be in tune with the game conditions. Being able to let go of AK and AQ early is important to be able to do when the time is right.

See HEPFAP and the Carson book for a better treatment of these hand types.

[Vollycat]

"Short answer: To play any offsuited Ace, you've got to be in tune with the game conditions. Being able to let go of AK and AQ early is important to be able to do when the time is right."

Personally I still hold AK and many times AQ even in early position. Tossing AK even though you're in an early seat is tough for me to do--pre-flop that is. There are just too many chasers out there that call with any face card much less any ace.

[Michael Davis]

I can only assume he meant "early in the hand" and not early as in position. Telling someone there are game conditions where folding AK in early position is right would be criminal.

-Michael

[SlyR]

[ QUOTE ]
I can only assume he meant "early in the hand" and not early as in position. Telling someone there are game conditions where folding AK in early position is right would be criminal.

-Michael

[/ QUOTE ]

Correct - I meant early in the hand.

[MushashiAce]

A9o is useless, i can't believe someone would admit to playing that while not being in a blind. At least make it suited or up it to AT, save yourself the trouble.