There are two main objectives. Build up the pot as much as possible and get all of your chips
in the pot. You're assumption should always be that you will win. Only call off your attack if
you see impending disaster on the horizon. For instance, if 2 kings come on the flop and one
player bets while another calls, you're dead in the water. If three clubs come and you don't
have the ace of clubs, you need to be very careful. You could already be dead and one third
of the time another club will come on the Turn or River and you will get crushed by any
worthless club. In this case, I like to try to play the flop for free and bet the Turn no matter
what. If the forth club comes on the Turn, the players will assume you only had one club so
you didn't bet the Flop, but the Turn made you a straight. Now, there is only one decision for
them to make, how high is your club. If they don't have the nuts, it will be hard for even second
best club to call a big bet. If they have the nuts, they'll probably raise, at which point you will
fold. Going back to the Turn, if it is NOT a club, you still raise. The perception will be that you
had a small flush, but were afraid to bet it, because you afraid of getting raised by someone
with a bigger flush or having another club hit the board. Now, it appears that you no longer
fear the higher straight and since another club didn't hit the board, your small straight should
be good. Again, if you get raised, you need to fold. They're the one with the real flush.
Barring these types of flops, you should be only thinking about how you can get someone to
put all their chips in against you. You are only going to get AA once every 6 hours on the
average, so you may as well try to double through someone unlucky enough to pair their King
on the flop. Also, don't worry about several callers. Many players will want to get heads up
before the flop. Sure you will have a nice advantage, but even with 4 callers, you are still
about 50% to win. I am more than willing to walk away from some percentage point to try to get
a few players in the mosh pit with me. I'll make up for the percentage loss by position and
better play than my opponents. It's up to your temperament as a player. I'd rather risk my
$100 against winning $300+. The monetary risk is the same. You will still only be risking $100,
but your potential payoff could be huge. If your aces get cracked, well aces get cracked, but
again, most of the time you will win and if the pot is bigger, so much the better. Making a huge
raise or going all in preflop is a fool's strategy. Why would you try to steal blinds when you
have such a huge advantage over the table? We are poker players, not blackjack players.
We're Pirates, not accountants! If you want to play purely by stats, go to the blackjack table
with your betting cheatsheet and order yourself a few cocktails. I'll be at the poker table
making rent.
in the pot. You're assumption should always be that you will win. Only call off your attack if
you see impending disaster on the horizon. For instance, if 2 kings come on the flop and one
player bets while another calls, you're dead in the water. If three clubs come and you don't
have the ace of clubs, you need to be very careful. You could already be dead and one third
of the time another club will come on the Turn or River and you will get crushed by any
worthless club. In this case, I like to try to play the flop for free and bet the Turn no matter
what. If the forth club comes on the Turn, the players will assume you only had one club so
you didn't bet the Flop, but the Turn made you a straight. Now, there is only one decision for
them to make, how high is your club. If they don't have the nuts, it will be hard for even second
best club to call a big bet. If they have the nuts, they'll probably raise, at which point you will
fold. Going back to the Turn, if it is NOT a club, you still raise. The perception will be that you
had a small flush, but were afraid to bet it, because you afraid of getting raised by someone
with a bigger flush or having another club hit the board. Now, it appears that you no longer
fear the higher straight and since another club didn't hit the board, your small straight should
be good. Again, if you get raised, you need to fold. They're the one with the real flush.
Barring these types of flops, you should be only thinking about how you can get someone to
put all their chips in against you. You are only going to get AA once every 6 hours on the
average, so you may as well try to double through someone unlucky enough to pair their King
on the flop. Also, don't worry about several callers. Many players will want to get heads up
before the flop. Sure you will have a nice advantage, but even with 4 callers, you are still
about 50% to win. I am more than willing to walk away from some percentage point to try to get
a few players in the mosh pit with me. I'll make up for the percentage loss by position and
better play than my opponents. It's up to your temperament as a player. I'd rather risk my
$100 against winning $300+. The monetary risk is the same. You will still only be risking $100,
but your potential payoff could be huge. If your aces get cracked, well aces get cracked, but
again, most of the time you will win and if the pot is bigger, so much the better. Making a huge
raise or going all in preflop is a fool's strategy. Why would you try to steal blinds when you
have such a huge advantage over the table? We are poker players, not blackjack players.
We're Pirates, not accountants! If you want to play purely by stats, go to the blackjack table
with your betting cheatsheet and order yourself a few cocktails. I'll be at the poker table
making rent.
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Playing Aces in No Limit Texas Holdem
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"Know how to win BEFORE you sit down. Experience may be the best teacher, but it's also the most expensive." - Doyle Brunson, Poker Wisdom of a Champion, 2003.
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Playing AA
Ground and pound 'em, baby!
The main objective of playing Pocket Rockets is not to 'win the hand'. Anybody can raise all in
preflop and win the blinds in most cases, but you need to be focused on bigger goals.
You are in late position (8 of 10) with 2 callers to you. The blind players are both fairly
conservative. Chip stacks are all about even.
You have AA. What's your move? All in?
I hate this move!
preflop and win the blinds in most cases, but you need to be focused on bigger goals.
You are in late position (8 of 10) with 2 callers to you. The blind players are both fairly
conservative. Chip stacks are all about even.
You have AA. What's your move? All in?
I hate this move!