Aces not getting action

pokahpaul · #1 11-09-2005, 09:53 PM

Hey guys, I have a question about Aces. I currently play 1/2nl at bodog and I feel like I'm not playing my aces to its potential. Whenever I get aces, I make my standard play and raise 4xBB or more depending on how many limpers there are in front of me. And of course, if there's a raise in front of me, I reraise about 3x. What usually (almost always ~85%) happens when I raise/reraise is everyone folds. I'm wondering if reducing the size of my raises is a profitable play at these tables where by doing so, I can get one guy to bite. Is this a bad idea? Should I stick to my usual raises?

I thought about maybe limping in EP hoping for a raise that I can reraise. But maybe bodog tables are a bit too passive for this play? Also, I was thinking, if I was faced with a raise and in LP, is it better to just call in this situation?

#2 11-09-2005, 09:58 PM

You are probably playing them fine...dont get passive with aces. One thing you could consider though is if a donkey that spews chips postflop limps in front of you, you would want to isolate him, and sometimes raising to 3xBB is enough to do the trick.

Godfather80 · #3 11-09-2005, 10:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Hey guys, I have a question about Aces. I currently play 1/2nl at bodog and I feel like I'm not playing my aces to its potential. Whenever I get aces, I make my standard play and raise 4xBB or more depending on how many limpers there are in front of me. And of course, if there's a raise in front of me, I reraise about 3x. What usually (almost always ~85%) happens when I raise/reraise is everyone folds. I'm wondering if reducing the size of my raises is a profitable play at these tables where by doing so, I can get one guy to bite. Is this a bad idea? Should I stick to my usual raises?

I thought about maybe limping in EP hoping for a raise that I can reraise. But maybe bodog tables are a bit too passive for this play? Also, I was thinking, if I was faced with a raise and in LP, is it better to just call in this situation?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like you should just begin to play some other hands preflop the way you play AA. You can play KK, AKs, and AKo the same way. Also, add QQ and possibly JJ to this mix, depending how comfortable you are postflop with laying down overpairs at the right times.

The key is not to change the way you play AA, but to get more value from the respect your preflop raises are getting from opponents. When opponents start catching on, then you can tighten up again if you like.

Malachii · #4 11-09-2005, 10:11 PM

If people fold to a potsized reraise 85% of the time, then it's very easy to come up with an exploitive strategy. Raising your aces less isn't the answer with deep stacks when your opponents have implied odds from you.

pokahpaul · #5 11-09-2005, 10:31 PM

You bring up a good point about the implied odds I give my opponents. Others have suggested that it may be because people give me a lot of credit as TAG, so they have suggested that I raise with marginal hands and show it down.
I'm wondering, do other TAG players also have this problem of making pocket Aces a more profitable hand? I never realized that at these stakes, and especially at bodog, people pay attention to who's tight or loose. Could it be the size of your stack that determines how they perceive you? or do people keep note of the action?

Godfather80 · #6 11-09-2005, 10:46 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You bring up a good point about the implied odds I give my opponents. Others have suggested that it may be because people give me a lot of credit as TAG, so they have suggested that I raise with marginal hands and show it down.
I'm wondering, do other TAG players also have this problem of making pocket Aces a more profitable hand? I never realized that at these stakes, and especially at bodog, people pay attention to who's tight or loose. Could it be the size of your stack that determines how they perceive you? or do people keep note of the action?

[/ QUOTE ]

Certainly at 200NL your better opponents are keeping notes on you and looking to exploit the fact that you announce AA when you have it.

ericlambi · #7 11-10-2005, 02:04 AM

My problem with aces isn't the profitability . . . they are everyone's most profitable hand. The thing that sucks about aces is the variance . . . too hard to press the fold button.

Malachii · #8 11-10-2005, 02:09 AM

If you can't fold aces, you are going to have a BIG problem as you move up in limits. It's a good hand, but you have to be able to get away from them.

ludo72 · #9 11-10-2005, 05:31 AM

[ QUOTE ]
If you can't fold aces, you are going to have a BIG problem as you move up in limits. It's a good hand, but you have to be able to get away from them.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think this somewhat depends on the style you play. If you're a LAG and people perceive you as one then I don't see any problem with not getting away from aces because most people will go broke against you with TP only. If you're raising enough hands pre-flop you're already taking away their implied odds by playing crap when they're trying to hit a set on you.

PokerFink · #10 11-09-2005, 11:17 PM

Sample size? How many times have you had AA over this sample?

I haven't been getting much action on my AA lately, but I've been getting plenty on QQ and KK which I play pretty much the same way. It's entirely possible that the last dozen times you had AA, everyone else just had nothing. Which sucks, but such is life.