[LegitBet]

I know there are many different ways of approaching this situation, what i'm looking for are 'rule of thumb' bullet points to remember when holding AA in texas holdem.
thanks

[frizzelli]

If you don't know how to play Aces than you shouldn't be playing poker.

[GUMMO77]

I would just say don't limp in with Aces. You pretty much want to be heads up with someone when you are holding AA. If there are more than one person already in the pot you should raise and hope you get heads up. Saying that, there are a lot of other ways to get good value with AA. You can smooth call ( if there is only one raiser and if you think the blinds with fold) on the button in hopes of trapping him. Same goes in the big blind .. you can smooth call and check raise after a flop. But rule of thumb is don't limp and raise 3 or 3.5 times the big blind.

[GoIrish682]

very good question, and the post above mine is the common play...i know personally it's very frustrating to have everyone fold after a preflop raise...i have heard the best situation is to be all in pre flop..that's great, but how do you accomplish that?
Keep as many people in that you can to win more money. Don't kill yourself for folding it. This is the mark of a patient poker player. Go all in on the last card if you are short on chips. People like to call this, assuming that you're bluffing. Fold to any aggression. Be a patient player and the money will roll in. No need to force it.
This is usually good advice (hopefully like me you'll have the luck of the Irish!!!)

[Kaabee]

try not to go broke with them

[El Sol]

the best advice is to know where you are as a player.

Hows your reading ability? are you comfortable playing flops? Do you know when you are beat, and therefore have the ability to fold the Aces post-flop?

If you cant play flops, then absolutely never slow play. raise, hope someone else has KK, QQ, or AK etc and try to get it all in preflop

[sinmiedo]

preflop in early possition i just limp and wait for the raiser so i can aisolate later
on possition i raise and big if there are many limpers or the reraises
i push if i m in the bb or sb.

[Nuggz]

You don't want to limp in with a lot of callers, someone is bound to crack the aces. Depends on the position but put in a raise if half the pot or so. Being all in with aces isn't the goal. Not unless you're the short stack than you'd love to.

[El Sol]

preflop in early possition i just limp and wait for the raiser so i can aisolate later
on possition i raise and big if there are many limpers or the reraises
i push if i m in the bb or sb.

Limping in early position only works at at small stakes tables with lots of amateurs as the fish are the only ones that will fall for it. At the higher levels, the more experienced players will pick off this play every time and you will have the same two results each time, win a small pot pre-flop or lose all your chips post flop.

One of my more profitable plays in my play book is to call an UTG limper who I already pegged as a fish with any two cards with the hopes that he has AA or KK. Because I know if I hit the flop hard, he aint folding them aces and I'll stack off. Remember, Aces hold up 80% of the time heads up against any two random cards. So if the return has the potential to be greater than 5 - 1(implied odds) then this makes it a very profitable play because often my return is 10 -1 or better. So be very careful at which table you decide to limp the Aces at.

Ever been in a situation when someone says "You called me with that?" Well, now you know the answer if the caller doesn't respond to the question and just quietly stacks his chips...

[sq764]

[quote=LegitBet;8394237]I know there are many different ways of approaching this situation, what i'm looking for are 'rule of thumb' bullet points to remember when holding AA in texas holdem.
thanks[/quote

very strong preflop, want to eliminate any limpers that flop 2 weak pair.. Then have to hit it hard after the flop no matter what the flop comes.. then if you're called or reraised you have t use your head

[LegitBet]

Wow
Some very savvy responses.
Thanks to all.

[Glitch]

dont slowplay, respect the scare cards on the board.

[thefastship]

isolate to heads up before the flop by reraising or three betting. After the flop,pot size bet.If a king or queen hits flop...watch out for sets...

[Flyers21]

Great advice here!

[thefastship]

and to follow up on my last post....

after you isolate to heads up pre flop and pot size bet after the flop that should be an easy fold for your oppt. If they play back at you, you are either dealing with 1.an idiot or 2. a set. It is very important to no what range of cards your oppt plays strong.

I like to play the best starting hand in Holdem when I have the clear advantage. PREFLOP .

Every community card that is introduced lowers your winning percentage more times than not. Play it strong and aggressive.

[zlate22]

if u slow play and cant fold u r going broke so dont ever limp

[Kindred]

preflop in early possition i just limp and wait for the raiser so i can aisolate later
on possition i raise and big if there are many limpers or the reraises
i push if i m in the bb or sb.

The preflop limp-reraise is easy to read, I would insta fold most hands against an early limper who three bet unless they were really lag fishy bluffers. Any TAG player who three bets after limping is holding a big hand like AA KK. If I was playing super lag and had a loose table image maybe I would call more often in this spot but if you always play your hands like this and are a reg it's a pretty easy lay down preflop.

[politicin]

Limp, reraise is the best.

[stevenash]

Never limp in with aces, if there is 4 way action (or better) to the flop your aces more than not will be cracked.
No way do you want JQ suited limping in preflop against your bullets.
I'd bet say 2.5x BB, get rid of the riff raff, you have to raise, preserves your edge.
Bottom line, you have to get money in the pot preflop, but you want your bet to disguise your bet like you are representing something like 7-7 or 10-J suited, not aces.

[lolguy999]

lol... this is what happens when you limp with pocket AAces in a table full of donkies. lol enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_28np_ObNk

[lolguy999]

same guy that got pwned by THE G!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EprGnEjm2oE

[El Sol]

Perfect video on Aces, If you limp be ready to fold them, however not sure how in the world you can call them donkeys. Half of the table are well known high limit professionals...

[DRZ]

just play them aggressive like any other good hand

[sinmiedo]

by the way , i loose with AA most of the times, no matter how i play them.

[mrmarket]

by the way , i loose with AA most of the times, no matter how i play them.

Play more hands.

[CaDDyy]

fold pre and you dont lose anything

[mrmarket]

Following heuristics for anything at poker is bad advice. And debating what to do with AA is really irrelevant in the grand scheme of poker development. You should be concentrating on other areas where you are leaking money a.k.a play bad (playing OOP, playing marginal hands, turn and river play being some obvious examples). What to do with AA is small fries. But generally limping anything in NL is not good so just raise them. And raise the largest amount someone will call. If you have some maniac spewing all in push is ok but generally shoving preflop screams I HAVE AA/KK.

[LegitBet]

Great stuff keep em coming!
Mucho thanks

[levski2006]

simply play them agressivly- fast and strong!

[hunterwrot]

all in baby

[AmpleGamble]

NEVER SLOW PLAY- you will always lose more than you win trying to get fancy and slow play aces

[kaschmunnie]

aces are hand that don't play well against multiple opponents, so isolate with them by raising or reraising. i'd only try to get fancy with them in late position or blind vs. blind because it is a hand you want to get max value out of. re-evaluate on the flop and play the way you think you can get the most value out of them. if you think they are beat don't fall in love with aces and toss 'em in the muck. EZ game.

[scarface2738]

shove every time

[MRDOG]

Best advice is to remember they are just a pair.To better your hand you have to hit 1 of the 2 other Aces or hit 4 cards on the board that give you a straight or flush.

Try and get it heads up and if you can get your cash in pre flop,Do it.Some go all in or raise allot pre flop.Nothing wrong with that play.Its better to win a little than lose allot.

My self at a cash table I would never go all in pre flop with them unless a raise - re raise was before me or a donkey was at the table that I thought was going to call.Need to get value out of hands like that.Get your money in with the best hand and hope it holds up is all you can do.

Good Luck at the tables !

[GoIrish682]

i continue to be intrigued by this question. when to know to shove all in and when to 'treat them like just a good hole pair', which is a very usefull way of looking at this situation....
i will continue to be interested in opinions...btw i discovered the funniest nasty bad boy on youtube..this Australian play Tony G!