how do you play pocket AA in level 1?

[willie24]

here's the situation. you are in middle position, we'll say this is the 5th hand of the tournament. your stack is 1500 and the big blind is 10.

you have pocket AA and there is one limper to you. what is your plan?

[betgo]

Obviously raise 20-90, probably the middle of that range, unless your goal is to pick up the blinds. At a low buyin or with maniacs, you might be able to get away with a bigger raise.

[stupidsucker]

I am more aggressive with AA, especially in the higher buy in tourneys. The only way you are getting paid is if another decent hand is out there, or an idiot wants to play with you. if the BB is 10 I make it about 100 to go.

AK isnt going to fold, and neither is QQ. They may even come over the top of you. At level one I like to make them pay a little to see the flop.

[stupidsucker]

Oh and sometimes if its the first hand of a SNG I push all in cold. You might be surprised how often you get a call. This doesnt work well at the higher buy ins.

[willie24]

[ QUOTE ]
Obviously raise 20-90, probably the middle of that range

[/ QUOTE ]

i don't think it's obvious at all. i think it's standard, but possibly wrong.

raising that range is dangerous, because it gives lower pairs and other strong drawing hands implied odds to hit their hand. of course, you will make enough off of lesser hands to cover your chip losses, but this early in an SNG, the risk of ruin you expose yourself to with this play probably isn't worth the +EV (in terms of chips) you gain from it.

2 plays i think are better:
raise to 150 or higher - this kills much of your action, but ensures that you are not giving implied odds to anyone.

limp - of course you hope to get the chance to reraise preflop. if not, the pot will be small, which is good. you will get action from top pair post-flop, but will avoid being pot committed. it will be much easier to fold when you are behind.

of course, this logic would never hold true in a ring game. the key concept here is that adding 400 chips (with some risk of ruin) in level 1 is less profitable than simply surviving to higher levels.

[Benholio]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh and sometimes if its the first hand of a SNG I push all in cold. You might be surprised how often you get a call. This doesnt work well at the higher buy ins.

[/ QUOTE ]

I make this move sometimes at the $20's and $30's. Actually, I made it twice yesterday. Once UTG I just picked up the blinds, once from MP I doubled up off of KQ. These were the first and second hands of the SNGs respectively.

I agree with raising more than standard with AA and usually KK also. When some or most of the maniacs are still alive, I want them putting as many of their chips in the pot PF as possible. Calling 70 chips and 150 chips is pretty much the same to these players.

[willie]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh and sometimes if its the first hand of a SNG I push all in cold. You might be surprised how often you get a call. This doesnt work well at the higher buy ins.

[/ QUOTE ]

i do this as well.... because it's too hillarious when 88 calls you.


for the most part i'll make the standard raise to 75 though, you want some action and people at lower buyins are all too willing to give it.

as far as people hitting sets on you, you gotta live with it, for all the times you lose a stack on something like that there will be more where someone things their pair of kings with a queen kicker is huge