Hypothetical AA on the Button Hand

colgin · #1 08-23-2005, 02:42 PM

I would like to get people's views on the following hypothetical situation.

Typical low limit game (online or live); exact stakes don't matter. Good player opens from CO and you see AA on the button. The blinds are mediocre at best. To be more specific let's say that one of the blinds is mediocre to average and the other is downright bad, but that neither is overly loose per se out of the blinds.

Do you raise or just call? If this seems very simple and basic the inspiration for posting this question came from the following Mid-High Hold 'Em thread:

KQs Hand

thesharpie · #2 08-23-2005, 02:48 PM

3 bet. Since I do it with marginal hands in this spot I might as well do it with my good hands as well.

callmedonnie · #3 08-23-2005, 02:53 PM

I raise. One for value. Two if he is a very good player he might suspect that you think he is on a steal and read your raise as an isolation play. He may not assume you have a big hand, and just think you'd prefer to fold blinds and get HU rather than play four handed.

An argument for cold calling is that while your cold call will certainly tip him off to your having a PP, he probably won't realize how big it is. I still raise though.

callmedonnie · #4 08-23-2005, 02:54 PM

How marginal are you going in this spot?

thesharpie · #5 08-23-2005, 03:22 PM

I guess AJo, ATs, QJs+, KQo, 77 without a read. Not that marginal, I'd want a read on his standards before I opened up.

thejameser · #6 08-23-2005, 03:41 PM

have i been stealing the blinds alot? have i been raising light in LP? what is CO(good players) image of me? have i limped on the button much? how passive is this table? has there been much coldcalling? what is the blind structure, 1/3, 2/3, or 1/2? if my raises are getting too much respect i would possibly limp, otherwise i would need more info.

brettbrettr · #7 08-23-2005, 03:47 PM

I'd just go ahead and 3-bet. I'd hate to invte the BB in this one.

colgin · #8 08-23-2005, 04:31 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I'd just go ahead and 3-bet. I'd hate to invte the BB in this one.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you sure about that?

Here are some things for people to chew on:

1. CO is a good thinking player and will try to put you on a hand the rest of the way regardless of whether you cold-cal or raise.

2. The blinds are mediocre at best.

3. If you call you have a good chance of having a 4-way pot for 2 bets each and a very good chance of having a three-way pot for two bets each.

4. If you raise you have a decent to good chance of being HU for three-bets each and a very good chance of having no more than a 3-way pot for three bets each (i.e., it is very likely that at least one of the blinds will fold if you three-bet).

5. Given 3 and 4 above and the differing quality of the players, how would you like to see this pot develop before the flop.

again, I recommend the Mid-High thread I linked in the OP since there were some posts there that surprised me and at least made me re-think this situation.

Hoi Polloi · #9 08-23-2005, 04:43 PM

I read the M/H post earlier. Villain was solid, tricky player. Of course, M/H and SS are quite different.

That said, I would take into account the following variables. I prefer fewer players with big pairs that I'm almost always going to showdown. My default would be to raise. If this player or table demands that I vary my play, this might be a good spot for a cold-call depending on history with opener.

So, default 3-bet. Situational cold-call.

callmedonnie · #10 08-23-2005, 04:53 PM

I see the argument for cold calling but I still don't think it is right, especially at 2/4. Think about how EV changes when you let blinds in cheap vs playing against just the CO. On a very rare occasion I could see doing this play, but the blinds would have to prove to me that not only are the capable of folding, they like to.