I am looking for opinions on how to play aces and kings(pocket pairs) when the blinds are very low. say 10/20, 20/40. When the blinds are 50/100 you can make big enough raises to get out lessor hands and still get some action.

If you raise to 120 on a 10/20 blind, watch as you get five callers, and shake your head.

20/40 raise to 220, 240, get three or four callers and shake your head.

Then after the flop, making a pot size bet is not enough to scare away the drawing players. Hell the drawing players like to push you all in.

I like it when I got one of these hands on the first hand of the tournament, so that I can just push all in and look like one of the donks!!! But even then you might get 3 callers with small pocket pairs and A rags, and of course they hit.

Some times I would rather just start a tournament and not even see any of my cards until the 3rd level.

What are some other thoughts??

portlandford

I like to overbet, as you say (300 range, 10x B. Unless they flop 2-pair or better and i'll take my chances, I will bet pot to all the couldn't respect the raisers. Scary boards like 3 suits and 3 conected or two common overs I slow down but other wise I say crack me! It ain't looking good anyway if I am going to cracked early. Just let them do it and find the next game. Live play I try not to overcommit, as I have $$$ involved.
I want to post specifically about laying down AA and KK in live play sometimes pre-flop. I have some good stories about myself and other players to set the mood LOL. It should get the thread going if nothing else.

I REALLY REALLY hate getting these hands early. First hand all-in double up (or better if 2 or more callers), or go on to next tourney, after that depends on the table. Some tables will actually be playing so that a decent raise will get you heads-up, so that is what I would do there. Other tables will call even all-ins with KJ (because they think that is a good enough hand to go all-in on), 67 suited, 10-2 off, or any unlikely combination of cards that they play because they can. Here a decent raise and a mental willingness to fold if the flop generates a lot of action, is heavy on draws, or has the possibility of a made flush already there. If the turn is a card that would hit that guy that always plays 10 8 suited cause he was born on Oct 8, or August 10, time to go bye bye. The most qouted line on this situation is "You either win a small pot or lose a big one with P Aces"-don't know who said it first. And in the beginning of the tourney, when everyone feels chip rich is the worst time to see them pop up.

I know its a cash game, but checkout the Booth vs Ivey clip. Ponder the scenerios we have been speaking about and see how they apply. More thoughts on this in folding AA KK even pre-flop blog.

Jon,

I know it was only a one day test run, but I bet 20 times the big blind when I got AA once and KK once early in 2 different tournaments. It seemed to be enough of a bet to keep the good players away and not enough for the less than experienced players. I had one guy push with AJ when I had AA, and when I had the kings, a guy pushed with QQ after the flop came up 8 high.

I will have to keep an eye on this strategy.

Thanks,

portlandford

Portland, I think you will be successful over betting with those hands on SC or other freerolls. As you noticed many new players can't lay down AQ, AK or even mid pockets. Once in a while you will get cracked, but what do you do. Some players I talk to push early pre-flop, cause they know 1 or 2 play no holdem fold em. Easy triple up or bust!

Whatever you have been doing is working out fine, nice win the other night and great 5k finish!

heres one option depending on the buyin.

1. 10% of your bankroll buy in. Or SUb site. This is my methodThis is actually a good way to test your table and get the feel. Raise 4-8 times the BB we will say your out of position 2 spots before the button. 2nd to act. Player in front of you folds. Hit the raise key lol. Your gonna get 1-3 callers. 1.Bet high after the flop. 2. Lead out half the pot size if there is a draw on board. 3. Play passive. Nine time out of 10 one of the guys that called hit top pair. As well as being unexpirenced they think that is thier pot. check first to act. Re//raise if they bet the pot or half the pot. And the trap is set. I would say 8 out of 10 times the player is going to re raise you all in. Why you ask? Because you made them do it. They have top pair and a good kicker. most likely A K , A Q , A J or A T.But guess what little do they know they already need 1- 2 runners to win. Watch out for the straight and flush draws. But i will tell you that with this method you take controll of all these guys playing big pots with KQ KJ A8 ect. But what i like the most. Is they can not possible have any idea where they are at in the hand. They called a preflop raise and get check raised. Now they are pot commited as well very upset that you just came over top of them. They will make the decision of making the call with thier pair of Jacks with a King kicker. I hope im clear about what im writing lol im new to this blogging in the forum But this is my fave thing to do with AA or KK early.....Cross your fingers and hope they dont hit one of thier 2%ers.

AA or KK or QQ. The other night I flopped a Set with AA but the board had 3 hearts. I didnt have a heart here. anyways i check raise and the only other person staying in the hand had QQ. one Q being a heart. needless to say the ultimate bad beat came when her Q hearts hit the flush on the river and taking my stack down to 1k when blinds were going up to 250/500. Bad spot for me and ended up lasting another hour but never fully got out of the red zone. I would play it the same way givin the same hand and senario. My AA or KK preflop same bet as KJ or 23. 3 to 4 times BB. Let them all call me cause when i check raise after flop half will fold. those that stay in Can bust my AA or KK but i will see them again and bust theirs eventually. The other night this guy reraises all in after i bet my AA and i call seeing him catch a runner runner str8 with a 69. I saw him later on that night same tourneyment. and he goes all in preflop with AA. I go all in myself and doubled up on him when i flopped quad Js. he started raving at me and i just said. Remember earlier when you called me all in with 6/9os and caught a runner runner str8? At least my hand wasnt a donk hand.
Anyways. AA KK yes will get cracked. and yes i choose to play them the same way every time. You will be way ahead when you get 3 or 4 all in callers chasing each others outs and you will be set for a long time. BTW I NEVER FOLD IT. IF THERE IS A FLUSH DRAW OR STR8 DRAW I AM ALL IN POST FLOP. IF THEY HAVE IT ON TO THE NEXT TOURNEYMENT. IF THEY DONT CATCH THEIR DRAW TOO BAD FOR THEM.

Preflop - I try to raise enough to get it heads up. Every table is different so maybe it's 3x, 5x, 10x or 20x the big blind. Adjust to your table, but the primary idea here is to cut the field down because your odds drop significantly the more people see a flop. Early in a tournament, I play ABC poker, nothing tricking nothing fancy or deceptive. Make a big raise with a big hand.

Postflop - I try to exercise pot control. I often check one street usually flop or turn with AA if the board is dry and not draw heavy. By raising big preflop and hopefully getting just one caller, you cut down there range a lot, so you are less likely to be calling a big raise with something like a suited connector, so drawing hands are less likely to be a threat. You can try to keep the pot small to give you options to fold or call on later streets. Alternatively you could really try to define their hand on the flop with a decent bet.