AA in SB -- Whatcha gonna do??

[Bill C]

4-8 game in B/M, 10 handed; Villain (UTG+1) is very loose preflop, calls a lot post flop and is mildly aggressive. Hero is in SB, looks down to find 2 red Aces.
This hand is not about the outcome, but about what the correct approach is, both preflop and on the flop.

Preflop: Hero is in SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
All but CO limp, CO folds. Hero raises. BB folds as does MP3, the rest all call.

Flop: seven players (16 SB) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
SB (Hero) bets, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, Button calls.

Turn: four players (10 BB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
Hero bets, Villain calls, MP1 and Button fold

River: two players (12 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
Hero bets, Villain raises, Hero calls.

Final 16 BB
Villain shows 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] for 2 pr.
MHING

I gave the result because it doesn't entirely relate to my reasons for posting.
The hand is a bit ordinary, and you might say, "So the guy got his Aces cracked. So what?"
And of course, Villain is a total fish to be in the hand with those cards. But that's the way it was.

After the hand, as I re-thought it, I wondered if I should have checked my Aces Preflop since the pot would be so large, and check raised on the flop. Being in poor position, I had the feeling there was no way to put on pressure. In truth, I doubt Villain was going to fold, no matter what I did, since the pot was so large.

I'd be interested in any thoughts on the hand, and specifically on the play of Aces in my position.

bc

[Etric]

Keep raising those aces pf. You don't win with them everytime, but you win with them enough.

[JDErickson]

Kittens die every time you limp with AA PF.

Shovel the chips in if they will let you

[Goodnews]

Where did MP2 go?

Anyways, considering the size of the pot, I would have tried a c/r as some last ditch attempt to protect my hand. You might have won this pot if a c/r was placed on at the turn. Most donks will call anything for one bet in a large pot, but facing two bets cold will make them think twice.

I really do think its a matter of personal preference, I like pushing the edge here with a barrage of betting, but I do give in the need to protect my hand when I feel myself a razor's edge away from tilting. If this is the case, I do not only protect my hand, but also protect any future plays.

Nothing worse than having to leave a table of fish because you are on tilt.

[elindauer]

[ QUOTE ]
After the hand, as I re-thought it, I wondered if I should have checked my Aces Preflop...

[/ QUOTE ]

No. The answer is no. Stop it. What are you thinking? You're going to pass up four big bets to... you... I... ahumenah..... I don't even want to think about it any more.


Good luck.
Eric

[Bill C]

[ QUOTE ]
Where did MP2 go?

[snip]

Nothing worse than having to leave a table of fish because you are on tilt.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the good comments!
MP2 folded on the flop.

I wasn't on tilt, though there have been times I have tilted, so I know how it feels.

This table (at Bellagio) was very fishy. It can be distressing to be surrounded by fish and yet to get no good shot at them. That was how the day went, though, and that happens sometimes.

Thanks to all for good helpful comments!

bill c

[rmarotti]

[ QUOTE ]
Kittens die every time you limp with AA PF.

Shovel the chips in if they will let you

[/ QUOTE ]

And it's not even close.

[NomadCat]

I don't want to try for a checkraise on the turn in this pot. We have no reason to believe either of the late position players will bet the turn. All they did on the flop was call, which by my extraordinary ability to read low-limit players' hands means they're holding exactly two cards. If one of them had raised on this relatively uncoordinated flop, I might smooth-call the raise to set-up a turn checkraise, but I'd have to be sure he'll bet the turn, too. Without knowing someone else will bet, you don't want to give anyone a possible free shot at their five-outer on the river. Plus, if any of these players calls the flop with nothing but a backdoor draw (And I play with several of this type regularly at my B&M), they may have just picked-up a flush draw on the turn.

Given the action in OP's hand, I don't think there's anything else he could've done to protect his hand.

[Pokey]

You did just fine, but I recommend a slightly different approach.

The only POSSIBLE way you could have improved your situation would have been with a check/raise attempt on the flop. That way, if you get a bet from early positions you can raise for value and if you get a bet from late positions you can raise to knock out weak draws. If it gets checked through (past six opponents? unlikely but possible) you can hit the turn with a double-sized bet that's more likely to push weak draws out of the hand.

By the time the flop comes, you've got a big pot, and you need to protect your weak made hand. Facing the field with one won't accomplish that; you need to get creative. Checking with the intent of raising seems like the only viable way to do that.

Still, your play was fine. Against a full field, pocket aces only win about 1/3 of the time; when seven people see the flop, that's almost a full field, and they saw enough to know who had draws against you. Unfortunately, the nimrod who limped UTG+1 with 54o had pot odds to call the rest of the way down: the pot offered him 17:1 on the flop and 11:1 on the turn with a five-outer. Note that a check-raise on the flop would have faced him with either two on the flop or a double-sized bet on the turn, and could have given him bad enough odds that folding was appropriate. (Not that I honestly believe someone who limps UTG+1 with 54o would fold third or fourth pair, but at least he'd be making another mistake when he did so.)

[ApolloQuiet]

Yeah, I agree with Pokey. CR the flop, or check and if it gets checked around, bet out turn. Anyone with any piece of the flop is getting enough odds to call a small bet. Hope for a late position to bet it on the flop, get your check raise in and try to get 2 or 3 others out, especially the ones with the bottom pair. Tough situation, but when the boys do hold up, it's a sweet pot.