Article - Pocket Rockets Don't Always Fly

[pokerwhiz]

I have written many poker articles over the last 30 years. I hope to share them with you. They are all my content. Feel free to argue, critique and hopefully gain some insite. I will try and upload one or so a week. Enjoy.....

A pocket pair of Aces is such a beautiful sight, or is it? I can't think of a hand I'd rather start the hold'em game with. It is a mathematically accepted fact that "pocket rockets", as they are often referred to, as a starting hand will win 33% of the time. That is the highest percentage of any two starting cards, and by a wide margin.You've heard the good news. Now, let's deal with the other side of pocket Aces first.

If they win 33% of the time, that means they lose 66% of the time. That means you can expect to lose 2 out of 3 times that you play them. Wait a minute! You say, "That's not fair." Strangely enough, it is the truth. How should you play and take advantage of those numbers?

First, just being aware that you will lose more times than win with AA, will help you accept emotionally when AA doesn't win. When you hear someone say, "I had AA dealt to me three times and lost all three times..." that it is not much of a distortion at all. Hold'em is a game ruled by emotion. You must learn to harness emotion and use it only at the right times.

Let's talk about the specific strategies of playing pocket Aces.Your position in the hand where you are dealt AA is important, and can vary your choices of how to play the hand properly. Pocket Aces do best when played head up against one player, maybe two at most. Their losing percentages increase dramatically in a multi-player hand, especially when there are four or more players to see the flop. Be very aware and remember that fact.

If you are in one of the first two positions after the blinds, you better raise with them. I would not hesitate if there is but one player in the hand, that you make it a re-raise. You want to eliminate players to have the most success.

The same would apply if you are in a late position with no one in, or just one player. When there are several players in the pot already, you have lost some of the strength of AA. In low limit (limit and no limit) games where there might be 5 or 6 players already in the hand, before the flop, you might want to consider just calling with AA. This gives the hand a bit of deception if you should happen to hit that set (three of a kind) by a third ace coming on the flop.

If you don't get another ace, or if the flop is obviously dangerous, try and limit your loss potential. Don't be afraid to throw those aces away when three to a straight flops, or three to a flush flops. If you don't have the ace to that flush on the board, bail out fast if there is any betting action shown. In the long run you will save a lot of heartache and anguish. (and chips)

Even if the ace were to come on the turn, remember that one of the only two aces left is going to make a four flush on the board. Now your hand is worse and you start telling yourself, "well, if the board pairs I have the nut full house." (nut hand: the highest possible)

Yes, that will occasionally happen. But realize that you need not one, but two perfect events to happen. You must get the only ace left that doesn't match the flush cards out there. And, you must get the board to pair. Even then you have the ever-so-slight chance that when it pairs it gives a player four of a kind.

Many of the above scenarios will cost you a lot of money to get to the river card. (last card on the table) Sometimes in poker it is not what you win, but what you don't lose that is important.

Pocket aces can be played many ways, and should be played in a variety of ways, to keep your opponents off balance. Accept that you might lose with AA with a lot of players in the hand. Remember, it's just another pair until the flop comes out.

Show strength only when it will eliminate players BEFORE they have entered the pot. Players, especially in low limit games, will rarely throw their hands away because of just one raise. They consider the pot "too big to throw my hand away now!!" Watch the flop when you have AA. Don't have blinders on. Don't only see your hand. The next hand will be dealt shortly.

Your stack may not have suffered much damage if you can throw AA away when it looks hopeless. In no-limit, it can cost you the tournament, or all your chips to think "all-in" is the only way to play AA.

You can only win if you still have chips left when the hand is over.

Pokerwhiz ?2002-2006

[captainbirdseye]

Ok i see your point. But why?

[Cdufa]

Well written article but I think the begginer or intermediate might read too much into this if he feels his aces are getting cracked alot.

Some of your stats need to be slightly clarified. The 33% isnt against a single random hand but against several. Im not sure what the exact numbers are but it would have to be atleast 3 or 4 to more to be that low of an underdog preflop.

When talking about isolating a player heads up, against all random hands from 2 7 to KK, AA will be around a 4:1 favourite which means about 80% of the time it should take down the pot if seen to the end.

Those are good odds and you will always be getting pot odds with aces because you are always ahead preflop.

The thing to point out here is that you remember what you loose, and forget what you win. If your aces hold up you wont think much off it, however if they get cracked then you will remember it and probably fume over it. The key here is for that not to reflect you play. Limping in with aces after 6 people limped is basically like handing over a pot. The is the perfect opertunity especially in a tournament to build your chips and knock out a sucker. All in or a huge and I mean huge raise is what needs to be done here. Your aces are a big favourite heads up and a slight favourite against that many people.

Good luck on the felt

[Fictive]

Originally Posted by pokerwhiz A pocket pair of Aces is such a beautiful sight, or is it? I can't think of a hand I'd rather start the hold'em game with. It is a mathematically accepted fact that "pocket rockets", as they are often referred to, as a starting hand will win 33% of the time. That is the highest percentage of any two starting cards, and by a wide margin.You've heard the good news. Now, let's deal with the other side of pocket Aces first.

Umm... That's just wrong, unless you mean aces are playing against several hands. Pocket rockets are over 80% to win over any other one hand.

I'll give you two examples: let's say there are three players going to see the flop. You've got AA and you are against KK and QQ from the other two players. You are a 66.7% to win the hand, KK is 18.3% and the queens naturally a little less.

Another example, aces vs. suited connectors, three players going for the flop. Let's say they are going to be 6 7 vs. K Q vs. your A A. That would be close to the ideal situation (percentages-wise) to crack the aces, as the aces are "only" 59.6% to win, the 67s is surprisingly the second favorite with 22.5% and KQs just over 17%.


Oh, and another example. I checked my PokerTracker stats. I've been dealt AA over 250o times, and the hand's win percentage is currently 82.3%.

[freiaaron]

you will remember it and probably fume over it. The key here is for that not to reflect you play. Limping in with aces after 6 people limped is basically like handing over a pot. The is the perfect opertunity especially in a tournament to build your chips and knock out a sucker. All in or a huge and I mean huge raise is what needs to be done here. Your aces are a big favourite heads up and a slight favourite against that many people.

[candleenacan]

great read .. ahve lost my share with em.. i usually try to take the pot right away.. if i dally around,,some donk always lucks out

[jimbo51]

i do not get why they would just call because that seems dumb if 5 people r in the pot

[RaisinBran]

Wow can I get my 5 minutes back?

You never limp with aces when 5-6 people have already limped.
You will never loose with aces 2 outs of 3 times (in the long run) if you aren't retarded and limp when 5-6 people have limped.

[Vito_Nuccio]

I believe the 33% pokerwhiz is talking about is taking the starting aces against all other possible starting combinations from KK down to 72 off, not comparing AA to one, two or N other players hands.

I do not agree with limping aces with 4-5 other players, too many dangerous cheap draws, you may even improve your hand less than the drawing hand improves, make them pay to draw against the rockets. Take the aces against a hand or two and use the math advantage to the fullest by betting with those big boys. If you know there will be no more than 2 others with you to the flop (others have already folded), then the limp may come into play (and hopefully someone else gets brave pre-flop, then you have em) to disguise the strength of the hand.

If you are interested in limping with aces regardless of situation, I suggest a tip I read from Mike Caro (The mad genius) on playing aces. There are 6 combinations of aces, 4 consist of one black and one red ace. The others are the two black or red aces. Limp when your aces are the same color, raise if they are different. You will be raising 2 out of 3 times you have aces thus possibly disguising a little of your rocket play. Personally, I prefer to give more weight to the situation and current playing rivals, but wanted to share the tip.

Thanks pokerwhiz for the insight, just wanted to add my 3 chips worth.

Shuffle up and deal!

[rakmupagain]

This was in the original super system, I played professionally long before i ever even thought about this:
The most vulnerable set to have is aces. Why is this so? Hmmmmmmmm


Any flop containg an ace has a possible straight draw. Just another reason to NEVER limp them. Especially online. It may be profitable to do so in live games occasionally, only because you have more info to work with after the flop comes ak10 and you get called by 3 players after leading out. Better hope the board pairs!