How to play A-A?

[kongo_totte]

Hello Everyone. I just started playing poker online, and i play what I think generally would be considered micro-stakes (.25/.50 nl hold em). The outcome has been pretty good so far, and I average about a 35 dollar win each day, from 90 minutes/day.

I have some questions considering playing pocket aces. When i´m lucky enough to get that hand, my main goal is to get some loose player go heads-up (preferably all-in) with me pre-flop by check-raising from EP or raising LP, if there are many callers. Which isn't always easy, but i've managed to pull it through sometimes. Now to my questions:
1. Is this the right way to play it, and if not, how should i play it? (considering the stakes i play. how would it change if I move up to, let´s say 3/6 NL)
2. What is the probability my A A will still be the best hand after the river, if I go heads-up preflop in a nine-player game.

I’ll be grateful to all answers concerning this matter.

/ Swedish Newbie

[Phil Van Sexton]

At the 25NL, I never limp with AA. I'd always bet the most I think that 1 person will call. This is often about 5xbb. When on a table of calling stations, you can bet more. If the pot was already raised, re-raise, but not so much as your opponent will be forced to fold.

In the bigger games where people have a brain, you may want to just make your standard raise (3 or 4bb) so as not to tip off that you have a monster. If you are an aggressive player, you will be raising 3x or 4x with many different hands, so they won't suspect your have AA. There's no need to slowplay by limping in unless there are maniacs left to act behind you.

[CheckFold]

Hi, I don't think the $25 NL would generally be considered micro stakes, and $23/hr is not a micro win rate either, although it's pretty doubtful that you can consistently make that much off of this game.

Phil Van Sexton's advice is good for your game, unless you have very aggressive players acting behind you who will almost always raise and then call a reraise. In paradise multi-table tournaments, I would almost always limp reraise all in with AA or KK and almost always get called. I haven't found any online cash games where the same could be said. It's a very bad idea to let multiple people limp in behind you, because you will often be put in a situation where you will have to bet the flop hard to protect your hand against multiple opponents, and it's hard to determine where you stand if the pot is then raised behind you.

[bogey]

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2. What is the probability my A A will still be the best hand after the river, if I go heads-up preflop in a nine-player game.


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Better than anyone else's. Thats all that matters.

[Phil Van Sexton]

I guess 5xBB is $2.50 in the 25NL game, so I should've said 6xBB ($3). Some people get fancy with AA and start betting weird amounts like 0.75 or 4.25. This is a tell, IMO. Always bet a round number to avoid arousing suspicion.

[piki]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi, I don't think the $25 NL would generally be considered micro stakes, and $23/hr is not a micro win rate either, although it's pretty doubtful that you can consistently make that much off of this game.

Phil Van Sexton's advice is good for your game, unless you have very aggressive players acting behind you who will almost always raise and then call a reraise. In paradise multi-table tournaments, I would almost always limp reraise all in with AA or KK and almost always get called. I haven't found any online cash games where the same could be said. It's a very bad idea to let multiple people limp in behind you, because you will often be put in a situation where you will have to bet the flop hard to protect your hand against multiple opponents, and it's hard to determine where you stand if the pot is then raised behind you.

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what he said [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[kongo_totte]

Thanks for all the good advice. They were mostly what I was suspecting they would be. I only have one dilemma:
In a very tight game, the most logical thing would be to raise from EP (because limping and hoping for someone else to raise isn´t probable in a tight game), just as have been said; you don´t want 5 limpers behind you. But, if the game is tight, it´s not that unusual to see everyone folding to an early bet, even as low as 4-5 BB (my pre-flop tightness may contribute to that). In that case, I would only win the blinds, which seems to be a poor pay off for my monster-hand. So the real question is:
What is most probable, someone raising after my limp from EP or some-one calling my raise from EP?

[JohnG]

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In a very tight game, the most logical thing would be to raise from EP (because limping and hoping for someone else to raise isn´t probable in a tight game), just as have been said; you don´t want 5 limpers behind you. But, if the game is tight, it´s not that unusual to see everyone folding to an early bet, even as low as 4-5 BB (my pre-flop tightness may contribute to that).

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In these games, you either quit and find a better game, or you start raising more hands in early position. Say 55 as an example. Likely to win preflop, if called likely to win on the flop, and may flop a big disguised hand. If they don't adjust and start giving action, you will steal your way to a decent win.

If they are weak tight, I stay and raise more. If they are not weak as well as tight, and make no obvious big mistakes, then I'd find another game.

[JohnG]

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So the real question is:
What is most probable, someone raising after my limp from EP or some-one calling my raise from EP?

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Whether to limp or raise against these very tight players depends on how aggressive the table has been.

[kayaker]

It's all about position and the other players. Take these scenarios:

S1: You are UTG w/ a full table (9 others). The table has shown itself to be very passive.
In this situation, I would raise a smaller amount, say 2x the BB. You will still be likely to get at least one caller, but you won't bring the whole table.

S2: You are again UTG, but this time the table is very aggressive (a la many Party NL25 tables).
Here I would be more likely to limp-raise. With a very aggressive table, it is likely that someone behind you will raise with a mediocre hand. You can then come back over the top to isolate the original raiser. Be careful, though. If the OR is immediately to your left and the table folds around to you, you could be better off with just calling his raise.

S3: You are in LP and the table folds to you.
If the blinds have shown themselves to be weak, I would be inclined to limp, expecting to take it down on the flop with a large raise. If they're aggressive, you can go for a raise that looks like a steal attempt.

S4: You are MP w/ a neutral table.
This is a tough one, because a large raise is likely to take it down immediately, but a limp will allow for several players to see the flop. If I think there will be several people would would limp, I'll go ahead and make my standard raise (5xBB). If I take it down PF, that's fine. Better to win a small one than lose a big one when six players see the flop.