AA Question

[DaNoob]

I'm sure this situation has come up for everyone at one point or another, and it must have been discussed in this forum previously, but anyway, here goes:

Level 2 of a 1 table SnG at Stars. You have close to the starting stack, and have seen some good cards that just don't work out. All of a sudden, you wake up in the BB to red Aces. You pray for some limpers, maybe an all-in or two.

What you get, however, is mucksville, all the way around to the SB (big stack), who just completes.

What do you do?

[SoCalPat]

I was thumbing through Brunson's Super System today at my local bookstore (I'd get it, but there's too much info on games I'll never play to bother buying it) and he was talking about why he likes AK better than AA or KK.

He said with AA or KK, you'll either win a small pot or lose a big one, because those are tough hands to lay down in NL. AK is much easier to get away from because if you don't get help, you're outta there.

I disagree on his preference of starting hands, but he makes a lot of sense with the win small/lose big aspect of it.

So with nothing but El Foldos to the SB, I'll "create" the big pot. I'd push all-in or really overbet the pot and hopes the SB thinks I'm full of it and calls. I've seen people call my all-in AA or KK with some awfully disgusting trash (My most recent came on the first hand of a SNG ... UTG+1, I raised to 60 with 5/10 blinds, got reraised, I moved in with AA and my opponent shows ... KJs? ... Naturally, I doubled up). Just maybe you've got that type of player in the SB. The fact that you're online increases that chance.

[James282]

i would check and then try to crush him on boards that aren't like a 4 straight or 4 flush..let him try for top pair. you will beat a random hand so much of the time i think that this is worth it. but that is just the style i play in tournaments. this is a good opportunity to nail him if he flops a King or Queen etc.
-James

[Ignatius]

Raise big (about twice the pot) and hope that he will keep you honest. If you get called, you have some chance to get check-raised if he manages to catch a piece of the flop. Do NOT slow play - It's better to win one big blind than risking your stack by giving him a cheap chance to suck out.

[James282]

Even when a big blind is 20 chips? The odds of him sucking you out are pretty slim.. I hate the slowplay of aces against multiple opponents in a tourney, but against one player, I think it's valid. I do like your idea of the raise to keep him honest..depending on the level of this tournament a lot of people won't try a check-raise against a raiser..I guess it all depends.
-james

[DaNoob]

I went through both lines of thinking, wondering if I should slowplay my bullets and try to get some extra money out of them. Then I remembered how many times I've seen AA get cracked by absolute garbage, when a PF limper ends up with 2 pair after a cheap (or free flop). So, I raised 2x the pot. As you might guess, he mucked.

This situation is one that always troubles me. I've slowplayed, or semi-slowplayed Aces and Cowboys before, and been burned enough time that I'd rather win small or win big and skip the whole losing big situation.

But, as always, I'm curious what the other posters here have to think about it...

Thanks for all the responses.

[2planka]

I agree. Especially in SNG's where some people will play anything, play your bullets fast and make 'em pay. Gotta keep the pressure on.

[Ignatius]

Even when a big blind is 20 chips?
.
Esp. then as deep money means a much worse risk/reward ratio. Besides that, money is always measured in BBs - you don't "deserve" more BBs with AA just b/c the BB happens to be 20 chips.
.
The odds of him sucking you out are pretty slim..
.
15% (about 1/7) vs. a random hand - in this case a bit higher as he is more unlikely to hold a (double-dominated) ace and would have mucked unconnected offsuit junk like 84o. The problem is that with deep money vs. an undefined hand, you will usually have lost far more than 7 BBs (and often your whole stack) before you find out that you are beaten, while he is unlikely to give you much action unless he's ahead or drawing live as he probably would have raised w/ any hand that he might get married to if he flops a pair (basically AX and 2face-hands).

[PAUL-IN]

you MUST raise it here, period. you have no idea what he's limped in with, and right now, you can be sure you have him beat. if you check it here now, you are giving the SB a free and VERY valuable look at the flop. The SB doesn't know it yet, but he's getting major implied odds on his hand, because whatever flops, your aces are going to make you sail your chips into the pot. Example: he has 67offsuit and flops trips or worse. if he beats you to the pot you have a decision to make and you have no one to blame but yourself. the REAL question is, how much should you raise?

it's a fine line between strength and feigning weakness. in a perfect world, you would reraise a little, and he'd try a major re-steal on you, and you'd call all in and double up. Rare, that. in reality, however, how much you raise depends on how much you have vs his stack, your current table image, distance to the money, proportion of blinds to stacks, not particularly in that order. i'm not going to tell you how much to bet, that is up to you and every situation. bottom line, raise it and make him pay.

Remember the wall street quote: Bears and Bulls make money. Pigs don't. Raise with the boss hand.

[Copernicus]

At Party I like the all-in. You'll get a call 1/2 the time. At Stars I would just raise whatever my normal has been so far...3x BB, pot etc