Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

Interesting problem here - for the next 10 days, you get $10 if your aces are cracked at Absolute Poker. Here's the exact terms:

From Midnight Sunday, September 18th to Friday, September 30th at Midnight Absolute Poker will be giving away $10 to players every time they lose with pocket aces on Hold’em tables with limits of at least $1/$2 Limit or $1 NL. Three players must be dealt in the hand to be eligible.

So let's assume a $1/$2 game. (The effect will be a lot less at higher limits.) Does the fact that if you lose with Aces you get $10, change how you play them? Do you limp in rather than raise? Increased action will mean higher pots, at the risk of opponents catching something unconventional. To counter that, you get $10.

Is it worth trying to be tricky, or trickier than normal?

Re: Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

no

Re: Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

I haven't really thought this out, but at first glance it seems to be -EV. In the long run you'll make more money playing the aces as usual than the ten dollars every now and then that helps offset you loss. Lets say you lose $5 on the hand.(which will be about the least you can lose) You win $10 so you're $5 up when if you played your aces correctly oer the long haul you would be up more.

Re: Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

Thanks for the HU on that bonus. Can you fold preflop and win, or do you have to make it to showdown? Your EV with aces should be between 2-3 BB. At a 1/2 table, if you can fold preflop and win, you should. At 2/4+, it's more +EV to win.

Generally, getting AA cracked is fairly expensive, so in order to have an EV of 2-3 BB with AA, you'll expect to win fairly large pots when you win, and lose some medium sized ones. Those pots you win will typically be >5 BB, so you should try to win. If you lose, you may still come out ahead, since 5 BB is a fair bit to lose on a single hand. Really, I think I'll play AA like I always do: to win the maximum, but if I lose, it's still OK.

Re: Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

But remember that one advantage on unconventional play will be larger pots, which you should still win a lot of the time.

BW figures this bonus is worth just under a $1/hr in a full $1/$2 limit game, if that helps. (I assume that's considering conventional play.) If you play it unconventionally, I guess the real question is, how much bigger will the pots be vs. how much more often will you lose? And does the $10 cover the additional loses.

I really don't know the answer, but it's certainly an interesting problem.

Re: Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

How can your aces be cracked if you fold preflop?

I don't think they'll allow this to get the bonus.

Re: Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

You definitely shouldn't try to lose. A showdown is required.

Re: Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

IMO there is no question. It is not worth it to play this way.

Re: Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

Defienetly an interesting problem, I'm thinking your opponents style may determine the most +EV

Re: Cracked Aces Bonus - Vary How You Play Aces?
 

Happened to me just this morning. Q7o hit quads on the turn. (I did raise pf. And on the flop and turn I think, called the river.) Dude said something about a $10 cracked Aces bonus but I just thought he was being a dickhead and making a smartass comment after I showed my hand instead of mucking. I'll have to check it out.