Monday, June 19, 2006

Less is more

I hate going out of big tournaments with KK v AA. If i count the two EPT grand finals, WPT Paris/Bellagio and the WSOP main event last year as the five biggest tournaments i've played, i've exited two of them with KK v AA. Another one i went out when holding the AA. It makes me think i actually do alot better when i don't get big pocket pairs as they often spell danger. When i am not hitting i have to duck and dive, and its easier to get away from hands when people play back at me.

Had a good week online. Didn't play more than about 8 hours... and i'll probably play about the same amount this week. The WSOP starts soon and i feel like i should be there for the start, but that would mean flying back after about a week for a few days, so i guess i should just wait until the 8th July. I'm counting down the days now.

I actually haven't played that many tournaments this year at all. Its stands at about nine for 2006. Its the Vic festival this week and i may get to play the PL Omaha Hi/Lo, but i'm too busy to play any of the others.

One interesting hand came up this week when i was playing $25/$50 NL Hold'em. What would you do?

6 handed. I am on the button with $6800. Both my opponents i have only played with a couple of times so no real information about them. UTG (with $6000 stack) opens for $350 (7 times the BB). I have AA and decide to just call. The BB then calls (with $5000 stack) as well. I was hoping to be heads up. Flop 8JQ rainbow. BB leads out with a bet of $800. Preflop raiser makes it $2000. Now what? Call, raise or fold?

6 comments:

Tall Mat said...

BB getting pretty good odds has called speculatively with 9T or maybe 88.

UTG has jacks.

You get all the money in and get turn K river T to scoop a $17,000 pot...

Robert "Animal" Price said...

hmmm those tables can be very loose agressive so thats a scary one. I will put bb on Q10 and raiser on AQ or KK so go on commit !!!

Razboynik said...

FOLD !
Due to the fact that you didn't re-raise your hand preflop, one of the other players could realistically have a better hand.
A lot depends on your read of the players.

richard trigg said...

i put bb on QK and utg on AQ or KK get all your chips in and scoop

SimonG. said...

I don't think folding aces is mad here.

I think not raising with aces and then donking off the rest of your stack when miles behind is mad, however.

The critical difference here is the presence of a third player, and all three cards right in the zone. Then the action on the flop means I am throwing aces away too.

If the hand had panned out like intended with one opponent, it may well have been different.

But if I want to play a pot heads up at a 6handed table, I think smooth calling is very risky and a raise is required. You have to be pretty sure that one of the few players to act is going to reraise behind you - just about an impossible assumption online unless they are uber-agressive/tilty - or at least be sure that if you do get it heads up, your opponent will get all his chips in by overplaying their hand.

If you decide to gamble with a smooth call and you end up in a 3way pot and a dangerous board, take your medicine and throw your hand away. You have already made one mistake, don't compound it with another.

Right, back to the 2/4 tables...

Alex Martin said...

insta-fold
ppl play all day waiting for ppl to slow-play aces and trap themselves. What are you realistically beating apart from tptk.