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  #1  
Old 12-24-2005, 04:48 AM
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Default Playing small aces - the bane of NL Hold\'em.

I hate these cards, and fold them almost every time I get them - even if folded to me in the big blind in a six max game (if sooooted, maybe I try to take a cheap flop, or I might try a steal from the button or small blind - but that's about it).

Three examples of me being in the Big Blind recently:

1) Ace Two offsuit (called a minraise preflop from a major LAG at the table). Flop comes with an ace and a king, LAG bets 1/4 pot, I call. Turn is a two - I bet pot, LAG min-raises, the money goes in, river is a blank, LAG turns over Ace King (he actually had a hand this time - doh!).

2) Ace four offuit. Flop comes 2, 3, 5. I bet pot, get min-raised by the button, the money goes in, and the button turns over 6,4 offsuit.

3) Ace 5 offsuit, flop comes 3, 4, 5. I bet pot, and get called by only the small blind (V$IP 72%, PFR 0% - i.e., nut peddler). Turn is a 3 and small blind bets pot - I call like a donkey assuming he has only trip threes but praying for the 2 or a five - knowing that even those cards might not be good (although thinking that the implied odds might be pretty good if I did hit my two since I doubt he could lay down the trips). The river is the "glorius" 2 giving me the wheel. I decide to push trying to make it look like a steal (moronic). SB calls and turns over 2,3.

Moral of the story - DON'T PLAY SMALL ACES. And if you have to, don't play them like a donk and get stacked with wheel straights or two pair.

Has anyone in here had any success playing small aces (other than the guy who called my all-in boat with fours full of twos earlier tonight and hit his two outer ace on the river for a higher boat)? If you have success, I would be curious as to what strategies you use.

Thanks!
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  #2  
Old 12-24-2005, 04:55 AM
Fallen Hero Fallen Hero is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 34
Default Re: Playing small aces - the bane of NL Hold\'em.

[ QUOTE ]
I hate these cards, and fold them almost every time I get them - even if folded to me in the big blind in a six max game (if sooooted, maybe I try to take a cheap flop, or I might try a steal from the button or small blind - but that's about it).

Three examples of me being in the Big Blind recently:

1) Ace Two offsuit (called a minraise preflop from a major LAG at the table). Flop comes with an ace and a king, LAG bets 1/4 pot, I call. Turn is a two - I bet pot, LAG min-raises, the money goes in, river is a blank, LAG turns over Ace King (he actually had a hand this time - doh!).

2) Ace four offuit. Flop comes 2, 3, 5. I bet pot, get min-raised by the button, the money goes in, and the button turns over 6,4 offsuit.

3) Ace 5 offsuit, flop comes 3, 4, 5. I bet pot, and get called by only the small blind (V$IP 72%, PFR 0% - i.e., nut peddler). Turn is a 3 and small blind bets pot - I call like a donkey assuming he has only trip threes but praying for the 2 or a five - knowing that even those cards might not be good (although thinking that the implied odds might be pretty good if I did hit my two since I doubt he could lay down the trips). The river is the "glorius" 2 giving me the wheel. I decide to push trying to make it look like a steal (moronic). SB calls and turns over 2,3.

Moral of the story - DON'T PLAY SMALL ACES. And if you have to, don't play them like a donk and get stacked with wheel straights or two pair.

Has anyone in here had any success playing small aces (other than the guy who called my all-in boat with fours full of twos earlier tonight and hit his two outer ace on the river for a higher boat)? If you have success, I would be curious as to what strategies you use.

Thanks!

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll raise them suited a lot (6max) and I'll open-raise any ace from the button.
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  #3  
Old 12-24-2005, 05:18 AM
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Default Re: Playing small aces - the bane of NL Hold\'em.

A pretty common play of mine with A-rag in one of the blinds is to check if I manage to snag a second ace on the flop.

If anyone else bets in the hand then I'm pretty sure that I'm out-kicked (unless it's coming from the button) and I fold. I'd then raise the button, or lead any non scary turn if nobody bet on the flop and fold to a raise. It's a pretty good tactic to extract from middle pairs and prevent some players from stealing from you too often.
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  #4  
Old 12-24-2005, 10:54 AM
djoyce003 djoyce003 is offline
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Posts: 139
Default Re: Playing small aces - the bane of NL Hold\'em.

we have a bad beat forum now...go cry there, seriously, this is just one giant bad beat post. Waaaah, i lost with a straight, waaaaaaaaah waaaaaaaaaah, I lost with 2 pair, oh woe is me. waaaaaah waaaaaaaah.

If you want some real advice. Don't call any raises with ace-rag, even a minraise. I don't play them unless they are suited and i'm really hoping for two pair, trips with my rag card, or a flush...that's it. Anything else and i'm done with the hand if anyone else shows any interest in the pot whatsoever.

I will raise them in late position first in, otherwise I don't play them, period.
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  #5  
Old 12-24-2005, 05:13 PM
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Default Re: Playing small aces - the bane of NL Hold\'em.

[ QUOTE ]
we have a bad beat forum now...go cry there, seriously, this is just one giant bad beat post. Waaaah, i lost with a straight, waaaaaaaaah waaaaaaaaaah, I lost with 2 pair, oh woe is me. waaaaaah waaaaaaaah.

If you want some real advice. Don't call any raises with ace-rag, even a minraise. I don't play them unless they are suited and i'm really hoping for two pair, trips with my rag card, or a flush...that's it. Anything else and i'm done with the hand if anyone else shows any interest in the pot whatsoever.

I will raise them in late position first in, otherwise I don't play them, period.

[/ QUOTE ]

Glad to see the world hasn't lost its share of morons, yet. Bad beat post? You think those were bad beats? Those were donkey plays, and the point of the post was to basically help others learn from my mistakes.

Bad beats? LOL. You need to get a clue. At least the end of your post had some positive input, however strained. Good luck to you, sir. Nice hand.
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  #6  
Old 12-24-2005, 07:48 PM
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Default Re: Playing small aces - the bane of NL Hold\'em.

[ QUOTE ]
Moral of the story - DON'T PLAY SMALL ACES. And if you have to, don't play them like a donk and get stacked with wheel straights or two pair.

[/ QUOTE ]
No, the moral of the story is just to not play them like a donkey.

Hand 1 was fine, you might have been too eager to get your stack in, but [censored] happens. Hand two: another bad beat. Hand three: awful call. A nut peddler isn't giving you any implied odds at all if his hand is no longer the nuts. You think he can't lay down 3 of a kind when the board is 2-3-4-5?

Ace-rag played properly is +EV. Open raise any ace on the button. Raise AXs from MP+ and play for a flush. If you get resistance on the flop, go into check fold mode.

Edit: 6 max only. Ace-rag is junk in full ring.
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  #7  
Old 12-24-2005, 08:29 PM
mason55 mason55 is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: All Sin Begins With Emotion
Posts: 801
Default Re: Playing small aces - the bane of NL Hold\'em.

omg now i remember why i left this forum.
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