How to play AA pocket

[ITMguy]

I have found this in one strategy website and would like to share it with you. This article is really helpfull:

Despite what most people think, pocket aces is not the easiest hand to play (72o is, because you usually just click the fold button - nothing easier!). I find that some of the limit cash games I'm playing in these days are so tight that usually when I find AA, I simply win the blinds with it!

In limit, betting it preflop is almost always the right move. You may also choose to reraise it. Although if you find yourself presented with the option of deception after someone else has reraised to limit the field, you may have reason to slow play.

For no-limit, card play is much more situational. However, I would seldom slow play AA at a full table. This applies in either tournaments or cash games & especially in cash games.

When shorthanded, and especially when shorthanded with a high blind stack ratio, slow play AA because you will likely sucker in some action without much risk of being beat. This usually happens at the end of a sit-and-go tournament when players have few chips to spare.

For any table of five or more people, slow playing is not usually your best option. You want to raise preflop just like you would any other decent hand: make a standard 3x or 4x raise, or raise the most you expect will be called by your opponent. Occasionally, it is beneficial to slow play after someone else has raised. But this is only the case if you expect the pot to be contested either heads-up or three-way, because the last thing you want is to pick up AA and end up in an 8-way pot with it. Playing AA into an 8-way pot in no-limit can often lead to problems.

Also, you don't want to shut out all of your action pre-flop. Trust me, I've won the blinds with AA many times and it's never much of a thrill. Therefore, I don't advocate "guns blazing" into a dry pot. The only time to go in "guns blazing" is when there's already action, which is why many people will slow play AA in early position preflop. You can employ this move as well, but be advised it's common knowledge these days that people love to slow play AA up front. If you do slow play it up front, and you find an opening raiser behind you, do not mini-raise (mini-raising is raising the least amount possible) with AA because this is a dead giveaway about the strength of your hand. Depending on your opponents and what you feel will get the most chips now or later, either call or make a 3x to 4x raise. Quite often, just calling a single raise with your aces will disguise your hand, and that was the purpose of slow playing in the first place.

Whatever you do, do not miniraise AA after slowplaying it in early position. I love seeing people limp/miniraise pocket aces on me & it completely gives away their hand. The last person who did this with me was during a no limit & and this person lost their shirt because I knew for sure they had AA. It is really, really, really easy to play against someone whose cards you know.

In heads up, I'm much more likely to call when someone raises behind me, because then I can check to them and play back at them when they make a continuation bet on the flop. I rarely slow play aces past the turn. River check/raises are far too tricky to use on a regular basis, and besides, you'll often feel the need to protect your aces with a solid raise by the flop or turn.

[Wazap]

Alot of people just go all in preflop with pocket AA, but thats not a good choise because usually they win only blinds. If noone went oll in or made a huge rise before you you should NOT go all in with pocket aces i think. You have to let others see the flop first (after rising preflop) and then win their chips

[ITMguy]

Originally Posted by Wazap

Alot of people just go all in preflop with pocket AA, but thats not a good choise because usually they win only blinds. If noone went oll in or made a huge rise before you you should NOT go all in with pocket aces i think. You have to let others see the flop first (after rising preflop) and then win their chips

You are right about that, but you are wrong at the end of your post, because you not always win other players chips with AA - alot of players NEVER fold AA whatever comes on the flop and its their biggest mistake. I have played with a king in my pocket when the flop was KKK against a dude with AA pocket and he went straight all in after seing the flop... That post was of course owned by me :P

[ILovePoker]

Pocket Aces are something most find hard to get away from no matter what comes on the flop, turn or river.

I have mentioned in numerous threads how in the WSOP main event the final hand has seen pocket aces twice - both times the aces lost.

How I play pocket aces depends on how the table I'm at is playing, what position I'm in, who has bet/folded before me, and other factors I may need to consider.

[PokerDude]

Originally Posted by ILovePoker

Pocket Aces are something most find hard to get away from no matter what comes on the flop, turn or river.

I have mentioned in numerous threads how in the WSOP main event the final hand has seen pocket aces twice - both times the aces lost.

How I play pocket aces depends on how the table I'm at is playing, what position I'm in, who has bet/folded before me, and other factors I may need to consider.

Yes there are alot of factors to consider while playing it. I notice that alot of players are having a hard time when they have to fold it.

[ILovePoker]

I always see poker players taking pocket aces all the way to the river no matter what comes on the flop, turn and river.

I can recall several of the last few times I beat pocket aces. I floped trip K's with KK on the board while I was holding AK. My opponent played his pocket aces all the way through and I took a huge pot down.

another time I had AQ suited and flopped the nut flush. The turn brought another of the same suit but my opponent re-raised my check-raise. River didn't matter and he goes all in and I have the easy call with the nut flush. He shows his pocket aces.

[PokerDude]

Originally Posted by ILovePoker

I always see poker players taking pocket aces all the way to the river no matter what comes on the flop, turn and river.

I can recall several of the last few times I beat pocket aces. I floped trip K's with KK on the board while I was holding AK. My opponent played his pocket aces all the way through and I took a huge pot down.

another time I had AQ suited and flopped the nut flush. The turn brought another of the same suit but my opponent re-raised my check-raise. River didn't matter and he goes all in and I have the easy call with the nut flush. He shows his pocket aces.

Its good to play against such opponents And by the way alot of people doing the same with any pocket pair greater than jack

[ILovePoker]

Yeah, there can be 3 of a kind, straight, flush possibilities and they'll still play their pocket pair no matter what. It sure makes it easier when you play against these players

[capeislander]

Pocket aces???? Rip it all in and hope like hell lol

[ILovePoker]

You got to pick your spots to "rip it all in" capeislander

You don't want throw it all in when the blinds are so small that it chases everyone away and you get stuck winning peanuts