play my aces, please

[hutz]

The setting: UB $5 rebuy tournament for an entry into the $500+30 Sunday tournament. Approximately one hundred players remain in the tournament. At the point where this hand takes place, the top two spots get an entry and the third place finisher gets $20 or some chump-change amount like that. I've been playing with a table full of guys who (1) know something about poker but (2) are willing to gamboooool because of the rebuys during the first hour. In particular, people have been pushing all-in pre-flop and on the flop with marginal hands. It's the last hand before the break/end of the rebuy period. The blinds are $30-$60, IIRC. I have $5500, which is a pretty decent stack for the table, but below average for the whole tournament. I look down to see A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] staring at me. BINGO!

Pre-flop: MP (the table chip leader) open limps, folded to me in the CO and I min raise (hoping to induce an all-in from someone), button calls, SB calls, BB folds, and MP calls. D'oh!

Flop: J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Checked to MP who bets the minimum. I raise it to $600. Button folds, SB cold-calls, MP folds.

Turn: [J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] SB pushes his remaining $2500 into the pot. Your action? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Always Rockets]

I don't think you can fold here... If it is right before the end of the rebuy period, someone could be playing a 4-flush and hoping to hit, or even top board pair and if they lose then they dont really care, as they can just rebuy right away. You got yourself in a jam here, but you have to call.

[fnurt]

Your idea to induce an all-in was a good one but I don't think you have to be too cute on the last hand of the rebuy period. If you simply raise all-in yourself you will very often get a call from one of the people with "nothing to lose," because it's their (drum roll) LAST CHANCE TO GAMBLE! At the very least I would push on the flop.

[hutz]

The SB's cold call of my large flop raise set off alarm bells in my head. If he were playing weirdly with a flush or straight draw, he likely would have open-pushed or check-raised all-in on the flop (as had been par for the course at this table). When he just called, I figured him for a set. Unfortunately, he just as easily (or more easily, actually) could have had AJ, KJ, etc., for a weakly played top pair. When he pushed on the turn, I gritted my teeth and called. He had 44 for a flopped set. My two-outer missed on the river. Bah.

[Jason Strasser]

Your thinking is flawed. Your objective with AA preflop, especially in a sat where only a few get paid, is to get as much money in the pot PF as possible, with preferably not more than three people seeing the flop. Technically, the most +EV move is to get the most money in the pool, I prefer to make a raise where I see the flop 3 handed max.

You are expecting someone to raise you. Now I dont play in this tourny on UB, but that is a pretty interesting move. Is it typical for people to raise a min raise with mediocre holdings? Regardless, it is NOT certain. What IS certain, is how much they will have to call if you bet.

So raise. Real raise. Make them put money in. It sounds like they'd be more than happy to limp call, or cold call.

This would not necessarily have fixed your dillema postflop, you cant do much if 44 called your "real" raise and flopped a set. But you need to adjust the way you approach a hand like this. Glancing at the blinds, I'd probably make it $200-$250 to go.

[SossMan]

It's the last hand before the break/end of the rebuy period..........I look down to see A A staring at me.

This is like manna from heaven....I would push here almost 100% of the time given you description of the table. I would expect to be called by 1 or 2 looseys trying to double up before the rebuy period. It doesn't get much easier than this.

[Mez]

I don't know about pushing pre-flop if you haven't done this and gambled it up. I would make a large raise (MUCH larger than 3x BB) to induce the action that you wanted from only one or two callers.

Back to your situation, I call, especially if you can rebuy.