Posted Thu Aug 14, 2003 10:19 am GMT by bangsb41
I have a question regarding pre-flop play. Say I am on or near the button and get one of Sklansky's Group I's. There are a lot of callers also.
Is it best to go-big with pre-flop betting to steal the pot, or take it all or part of the way and build the pot? (I am considering early in the tournament. A lot of callers make me nervous, for anything can happen.
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Posted Mon Sep 22, 2003 7:28 am GMT by dave0044
Lots of callers can make me nervous too. I usually go with a big pre-flop raise on an AA or AK. If one or two players decide to hang around, it's no big deal, especially since I have the best pocket cards. I just have to hope the flop doesn't come up sour with low cards. If I pick up another A or K on the flop I'd try to lure them in rather than out of the game.
Posted Mon Jan 12, 2004 9:46 pm GMT by Peerless
Raise or reraise preflop, limit the callers but you don't want to just steal the blinds.
Posted Mon Jan 12, 2004 10:34 pm GMT by JimiHWannaBe
if there are alot of callers then i would move all in its better to win a small pot then lose a big one with that kind of hand if alot of people are staying around to see a flop chances are your not gonna hit your 3rd ace and you will have alot of players going in chances are one of them is going to outdraw you and hit their straights, flushs, 2 pairs or sets. shut em out of the flop and take the antes, blinds and callers chips plus someone might just think your making a position bet and call you making you the huge preflop favorite.
Posted Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:35 am GMT by Poker_Vendetta
In tournaments (I actually got this from one of Slansky's books) you should slowplay more when the ante/blinds are small. Thus you could just limp in or make a moderate size raise. You should play tighter when the blinds are smaller and more loose when the blinds are larger. More aggressive as well, so when you are at a table with big blinds make a bigger bet with Aces, slowplaying is not that great of an idea with bigger blinds because everyone else is slowplaying and it's more vital to get those blinds. As far as I know that is Slansky's idea on it,
Posted Wed Feb 04, 2004 3:50 pm GMT by sceadu
AK is, even with all its potential, ultimately a drawing hand.. though it is the ultimate drawing hand. It has no real immediate value preflop (except for the ace-high, if you want to get technical) but every hand it draws to will be the highest.. eg. a pair/trips/boat, straight, or flush (if suited). With AK, there are no overcards and there are no overpairs. The only hands with more value preflop are pocket pairs, but they are merely ~6:5 favorites (eg. QQ vs. AKo is a 55% favorite), and if you pair with the board, then you've got it made more than 80% of the time vs. other hands. The only hands that really dominate your hands are AA and KK, but this would be rare (but costly nonetheless with them being ~9:1 and ~7:3 favorites, respectively..) because you hold 1 of the 4 aces or kings needed to make one of those hands. The real reason that I get nervous with AK is would be that I'm really unsure of what my opponent is holding because I haven't figured them out yet.. so I'm unsure about whether I should release it or stay in with it, and this is the #1 mistake when it comes to AK: keeping on playing when you should RELEASE THE HAND once you have been bet into. You will lose so much money if you keep on hanging on with AK because once you miss that flop your chances of hitting dwindle down to ~7:3.. so, if you choose to jam the pot with AK, be prepared to release the hand and all of the money you shoved into it preflop.. but when you do hit, be sure to try to extract all the money you can from your opponents if they keep drawing against you. If you don't, you're just inviting defeat and you don't have anyone to blame but yourself when they hit a set/trips/flush.
AA and KK on the other hand have immediate value. They dominate all other hands, so usually it would be a wise idea to jam the pot to keep the drawing price at a maximum and to try to keep the giant killers (suited connectors and small pairs and the like) out of the pot right from the get go because once you get a hand like this, I'm guessing you'd prefer to win with it instead of getting drawn out on or getting scared with lots of low cards. The only time when you shouldn't jam the pot up is when someone is doing it for ya and you'd like to conceal your hand by limping or by smooth calling the blinds only to lay a trap later. This is pretty effective against aggressive, bullying players who will raise for you with anything, especially if you're wishing to hit them on their nose and turn 'em into calling stations, but once the flop/turn/river hits (depending on when you want to spring the trap on 'em), make sure they're paying dear to stay in the hand against you if you want to make them really think twice about it next time.
PS: BE VERY CAREFUL when you try to trap, because like the saying goes, with these big hands you either win a little or lose a lot.. and you don't get these premium hands too often, so don't waste them.
I probably said too much, but oh well.  Was bored.
Posted Thu Feb 26, 2004 1:24 am GMT by Bates0202
Personally, i rarely bet big when i have a good hand in the pocket (AA, AK, or any two face cards)
I find that most often one of the two things happen....
Most players (if not all fold) and i only win a fraction of what i would have won (or just the antees)
Or i get a few people to call then i get a rainbow flop and no matches and get beat by a low pair.
Overall i find it best to make a medium/ standard bet, and if i see what i like on the flop i make the same bet then i make a big move on the turn or the river.
Posted Thu Feb 26, 2004 10:31 am GMT by ORGrinder
remember... it also depends on the table limits. if you're at a micro-limit table with AA or AK, you basically aren't going to be able to steal the pot.
players at these tables simply don't want to fold... especially if they're in early position, have money in the pot already, and are faced with your raise behind them.
this is good and bad for you. good because they'll often call with almost anything. bad because they'll often call with almost anything.
by this i mean, they can often, by shear luck, catch a mirical flop, turn, or river.
so... at the lower limit tables... i'm not so sure that super aggressive play is the best option.
jmho though.
Posted Wed Apr 07, 2004 12:50 pm GMT by feverpa
there are two reasons to play aggressively before the flop with great hands... one is to drive out people... but even if you can't do that at a micro limit table.... you still need to do it for the second reason...
that is to maximize the pot size.. you do this because at this point in the game... the pot belongs to you... you HAVE to play with this attitude. when I have what I truly to be the best hand at the table pre-flop (based on betting), then I want them all to put more money on the table for me... they are paying me to draw another card. if they improve, fine... they can have this pot... but when I win... I don't want the pot to be any smaller because I was afraid to raise or re-raise with AA or AK....
even though a hand like AA or AK gets less potent as there are more and more players seeing the flop/turn/river.... it still is BETTER than the rest of those hands...
you have to look at it as one big poker game... don't be afraid of losing with your AK when the flop comes rags... if you ALWAYS play aggressively with it... then you'll make up for the losses with BIG wins...
look at it this way... you aren't minimizing the negatives by not raising... you are ASSURING that everyone will stay in the pot, and you'll probably be beat with so many people drawing... at least by raising...a couple may drop out...
second.... you aren't maximizing the positives of the hand...... when you do win... your pots are smaller because you didn't raise pre-flop...
Posted Wed Apr 07, 2004 12:57 pm GMT by feverpa
by the way... at the micro-limit tables I play at (.50/1.00) at Paradise (not sure if that is considered micro limit.. but it certainly is very low limit) the super aggressive style wipes out people.
over the last month of play... I'm winning about 15-30 dollars an hour on these tables...
I'm not kidding... bad hours give me around 5-7 bucks an hour profit... yesterday I played for just 90 minutes and took away 65 bucks profit...
The swings aren't as bad because the limits are so low... and I don't need a very big bankroll to play this level... but I'm taking home a profit that would be welcomed on a $5-10 table...
I do this with a very aggressive, but tight and smart style of play...
just wanted people to know that you CAN play this aggressive and have it work at the lower limits... you do get drawn out on once in a while... but if the flop brings NOTHING... then you can cut your losses and get out... if you do make big pair on flop, then you are a big favorite to the drawers, and can usually tell if they've made their hand... and save another bet or two on the end...
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