Axs & Kxs in the micro-limits

[yzerman18]

I'm working on establishing some pre-flop standards for playable hands while multi-tabling.

I always play Ax & Kx (x being, less than or equal to 9) suited after 1 or 2 limpers and will usually limp in first with these hands on the loose passive tables on party.

Does anyone have any PT stats on these hands? They are currently winning me .21 BB/Hand & I'm seeing the showdown 26% and winning the showdown 57% of the time. 57% for winning the showdown seems a little low to me? Seems like I should be throwing a few more of these away post flop.

Also, any opinions on being the first one to limp in with these hands, UTG or UTG+1 in these loose passive games.

[tardigrade]

Are you playing the Axs purely for the flush draw, or do you pursue the high pair when an ace comes up?

[RED_RAIN]

Ax can be played UTG as long as you got good post flop play. I would not call Kx anything UTG.

After 2 limpers I'd call Ax, still folded Kx. Kx will get you in trouble. Ax with 1 limper if I'm in middle position with at least 3-4 to act behind. Before that I'll limp Ax any position if folded to me.

[HajiShirazu]

I really don't like Axs in early position, it's hard to get full value out of the ace portion of the hand when you don't have position, and this is a losing hand if you don't take advantage of the ace's high card value. On the other hand, in later position with a decent x card and/or a large number of others in the pot you should raise preflop with this hand.
I know people will say that it's too tight to fold Axs in EP, I will say I do play the small pairs in EP if I can expect multiway action.
The same can be said for Kxs only to a far greater extent. Although I can't ever see raising preflop with Kxs to be a good play.

[Peter Harris]

Kxs is a vary risky hand to play; the only place it seems sensible to me to play it is on the button after limpers or completing the SB. you don't want to be voluntarily putting 1 small bet in with this hand. According to the Poker Room EV stats ten-handed, KTs is the only hand with +EV from any position; K3s is -EV in all positions.

As for Axs, if you know it's a loose-passive table, then limping UTG is fine but you DO NOT want it raised behind you. 2 bets for Axs is a losing proposition.

I have heard that the odds of flopping your flush draw are 9-1. Is this true? If so, you have that to contend with then another 2-1 odds of making it by the river. That's .1 x .33 or 3.3% of making a flush with suited cards.

Anyway, this is coming from a player who is ironing out my current suited ace troubles (overplaying A3s and A7s [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img])

Regards,
Pete Harris

(Back from the Glastonbury Festival)

[cjromero]

I will play Axs UTG and in EP (and of course in LP) in an unraised pot. It's pretty easy to get away from on the flop if you don't flop a flush draw. If an Ace comes on the flop and you are heads up or against only 2 (sometimes 3) players, your Ace/weak kicker could easily be good.

I only play Kxs in the blinds and in late position when there have been several limpers. Kxs is considerably weaker than Axs because you can still lose to a better flush. That takes away some of its value.