But I have Aces!!!

[bad beetz]

I have aces.

I raise and people call.

flop comes QJJ. I bet and some people call.
Turn comes an offsuit nothing. I bet and get checkraised. That's a [censored] jack. It's always a jack. I have two outs because some [censored] has a jack. But I can't fold either because, well, I HAVE ACES!! They're fricken aces. So I call. Like a sucker. And then I call a bet on the river. Like a sucker. And then I lose when he shows a jack. Like a sucker.

How many of you lay down Aces heads up with a paired but otherwise not creepy board wtih no serious action before the flop against a fairly straightforward opponent.

Do you have difficulty doing it too? I wish I had. I suck. I hate this [censored] game. No I don't, I didn't mean that, baby. I would never say anything to hurt you. It's just, I love you so much, I get crazy, you know?

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Beetz:

In this spot, if you are sure what you should do if raised, you should bet your aces. That is bet if you know you must be beat if raised -- now you fold -- and also bet if your opponent has a high propensity to raise bluff in this spot -- now call (note that this will rarely happen).

It's when you are unsure what to do that there is a problem. In this case, you should strongly consider checking those aces and then call a bet on both the turn and the river.

best wishes,
Mason

[Rick Nebiolo]

beetz,

i like Mason's advice but also consider how many are in and where they are when hit by the checkraise. some checkraises because the pot is so clearly protected and the checkraise screams value you are virtually certain to be against the jack. in those cases lay it down.

~ rick

[rtrombone]

I will make this laydown. You must, too.

The key is it's a "straightforward opponent." You recognized him/her as such. You made a good read. Now act on it!

Don't even call the raise. Just lay down the airlines and smile.

[Tommy Angelo]

"I suck."

Everyone gets to take turns sucking at poker. Take heart. It brings out your best writing.

[M2d]

Tommy can't comment here, because, had it been his hand, the Aces would have been in the muck pre-flop

[Bama Boy]

And this time at least, it would have saved him some money!