First hand post, fire away

[JRichman]

Party Poker 10/20 Hold'em (6 max, 5 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG folds, MP raises, Button folds, SB folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (4.50 SB) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, MP bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (3.25 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero bets, MP calls.

River: (5.25 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero bets, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, MP calls.

Final Pot: 11.25 BB

_____
MP just got to the table, so no read. Heads up, I will often just call a pre-flop raise with AA.

Comments please on all streets, especially my 3 bet on river.

[deacsoft]

You should not often just call a preflop raise with A-A. You should 3-bet or cap nearly every time. You want to punish your opponents for playing hands that are worse than yours, and get bets in to the pot.

You surely don't want to check call the flop either. You could check raise here, but I'll bet out to insure no free cards.

The way you played the hand is the reason A-A loses most of the time. Trying to slow play a hand that does not need to and should not be slow played.

[MisterKing]

I certainly would not play AA the way you did here, but I recognize that different folks approach this from their own perspectives...

While it might be ok to just call pre-flop, I would 3-bet it 99% of the time, particularly HU. Yes, you want your opponent to pay you for your aces, but more importantly, you don't want to be paying HIM because of an unnecessary and easily avoidable slowplay/outdraw. Many players shorthanded will see the 3-bet as an attempt to steal the pot then and there, and may respond by pushing back even harder.

On the flop, I would either bet out, or to a lesser extent, check-raise. Potentially letting free cards come with a paired board is dangerous stuff, imo. This is particularly true with 2 diamonds on the board. If he has a PP or a Jack, you're inviting danger with the check/call. Rather, I would be more prone to whip out the C/R on the flop in the rare instance that I had just called preflop, with the intention of making my opponent put me on either a jack with mid-kicker, or a set of twos.

As for the turn, I think things are very similar to the flop. With a draw to the nut flush, you cannot fold to any bet here, unless you fear a made boat.

Just my $0.02.

[kiddo]

[ QUOTE ]
If he has a PP or a Jack, you're inviting danger with the check/call.

[/ QUOTE ]

Headsup, if the other player got any decent draw - or topppair! - he will not fold his hand to a checkraise, there is no way to protect your overpair if he is hit by flop or is sitting with a pocketpair himself. And if he is sitting with a lower pocketpair the odds are 2/47 to hit, not very dangerous.

[ QUOTE ]
letting free cards come with a paired board is dangerous stuff

[/ QUOTE ]

Why? A paired flop like this is a good flop for AA, he will probably stay in with overcards. If he isnt hit by J, which is normal (he will hit it 17% of flops), it is ok to give him a cheap card to catch up, make him call the turncheckraise and riverbet. But yes, there is a flushdraw, but headsup I dont think that have to worry you to much.

But I agree with you, only calling a raiser with AA isnt the best way to get money in the pot. If you only call a raise preflop with AA out of position its normally because you are up against an aggressive player and you want to checkraise turn. But its very hard to play out of position headsup, so I would 3bet this preflop all the time.

If you only call preflop I am not sure why our Hero wants to bet out turn? Wasnt the preflopcall made because you wanted to checkraise turn? Why pretend turncard helped you? You want him to think you got a flush? Isnt that minimizing your win when he is behind (which he normally is)?

I think 3betting river is ok, maybe not if he is a very loose preflop raiser coming in with a lot of strange hands.

[King Yao]

pre-Flop: I don't mind just calling here unlike others. If your opponent is aggressive, but will back off when you show aggression, then calling is better than three-betting.

Flop : I would raise because of the two diamonds on the board. If he has a Jack, you will get him to raise you on the Flop or Turn...or he may just call you down with Ace-high since there are two diamonds on the board. If there were no two diamonds on the Flop, then I would have a less problem with just calling, the two diamonds on the board gives your opponent less fear of your raise.

River: I hate the 3-bet. What are you trying to gain? The only hand that may call and that you can beat is a Jack - and even a player with a Jack may now fold with two pairs on the board and 3 to a flush. You have put yourself in a position where you are very likely to win nothing more if you have the best hand, but will lose an extra bet when you have the worst hand. Just call.