AXs in small blind question.

[fluff]

You're in SB and have AXs. X is 2, 3, 4 or 5.

One MP calls, another MP (fairly loose, but not completely crazy) raises, Button cold calls.

If you're fairly sure that the players yet to act behind you (BB and MP who limped) will probably call, but not re-raise, what is your move?

[flopdanutz]

against a tough table I would fold because you are out of position and are most likely dominated.
but since its micro you can also call or even reraise if you play the flop/turn/river correctly.

If I am reraising I am hoping to isolate KQ or a player that is weak.

at microlimits I prefer to play a mixed strategy of calling and folding depending on the previous hands.

[bisonbison]

Flopdanutz, you're thinking about this the wrong way. Of course you're dominated if you intend to play on with a pair of aces, or a pair for your bad kicker. But it's Axs, so you're clearly not. You continue to play if you flop a flush draw, two pair or trips. That's about it.

flopdanutz, I don't know where you're getting the idea of ever reraising from. That's a great way to lose a lot of money. You can hope to isolate however you want, but you'd be isolating him with, quite possibly, an ace with a higher kicker, and handing him position in the hand. What are you gonna do to punish him? The trifecta check-raise?

As for whether to call: don't mix up your play. At microlimits, I prefer a straight up strategy of figuring out whether the other players are likely to call or reraise. At a normal, passive table, they're likely to call if you call. I'd call, but it's marginal, and you must must must throw your hand away if you hit less than 2 pair or two suited on the flop. Mixing up your play at the microlimits is a great way to lose a lot of money. No one is going to notice.

[KCheng]

[ QUOTE ]
you must must must throw your hand away if you hit less than 2 pair or two suited on the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have I been playing it wrongly the entire time? When I play, I would of course stay in with those hands and adjust accordingly with the action and the board, but if I hit the A (top pair), and there isn't much action, I'd typically call it down. Incorrect?

Thanks for the help guys!

[bisonbison]

well, the problem is that at LL, a raise often means Ace, so you may very well be behind, and you'll be competing with the other guys who called, who may decide to call down with their random aces as well. Given that AK is no lock when you flop an ace, I don't think Ax will win this often enough on the strength of the ace to make up for the times you lose.

If someone has AK and an ace flops, everyone calling down now with worse aces (assuming they've got one pair and no draws) is making AK a lot of money.

http://www.twodimes.net/poker/?g=h&b...+8h%0D%0A5d+5c

Here, an Axs with an ace pair and a backdoor flush draw is going to win 16% of the time, but has already put in 20% of the money, and will put in more and more as the others fold out. That's going to be the situation a lot of the time when you hit an ace. In this case, if there is a club on the board and it comes to you for one bet, see the turn and fold if you don't spike your two pair or another club.

http://www.twodimes.net/poker/?g=h&b...+8h%0D%0A5d+5c

But if you flop two pair, you win more than half the time:

http://www.twodimes.net/poker/?g=h&b...+8h%0D%0A5d+5c

And if you flop a four flush with no ace, you win about a third of the time, certainly enough to continue on with the hand:

http://www.twodimes.net/poker/?g=h&b...+8h%0D%0A5d+5c

If you flop low pair you win <20% again. DOOOOOM.

So, yeah, I think it's really a losing effort to try to chase the suited ace with no kicker unless you really have a good hand on the flop.