Advanced Poker Advice: Maximizing Value with Pocket Aces

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value." - Albert Einstein

Oct. 30, 2007

By Chris "Hattrick9910" Odle
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

There are certain situations in poker where you will play big hands against a proven player that you know is very good. Sometimes you need to vary your play in these situations in order to maximize the value of your big hand. If you always make the same re-raise with pocket aces, a good player will pick up on that and fold or play the pot very cautiously. So, it is always good to keep your opponents guessing by varying how you play big hands like A-A or K-K.

Okay, you've got the bullets. Now, what are you going to do with them?

There are so many situations where you should play A-A fast and re-raise pre-flop, but there are also many situations in which you will actually get more value if you slow-play A-A and smooth call a pre-flop raise. Figuring out when to do which play will make you a much better poker player. 

Playing A-A versus a tight aggressive player

Smooth calling a pre-flop raise with A-A from a tight aggressive player can be dangerous but also very effective. A tight player is more likely to raise made hands such as K-K or 10-10, or even A-K or A-J. All of these hands are 4-1 underdogs or worse versus pocket aces, so you want to try and create here the most action you can. By disguising your hand pre-flop, your opponent is more likely to think his hand is good.

Playing A-A versus a loose aggressive player

Smooth calling a pre-flop raise with A-A from a loose aggressive player is more likely to create action on the flop, since he is more likely to continuation bet with anything. If you notice that a player continuation bets the flop every time that they raise, flat calling with A-A pre-flop can be a good way to get paid on later streets. Most of the time, the aggressive raiser will miss the flop completely and then bet out on it regardless. Other times, the raiser may hit top pair on the flop. If you smooth call pre-flop and then raise the bet on the flop, it is very hard for the known loose player to put you on a huge hand. Therefore, you get more action on your A-A than if you had re-raised pre-flop and he had folded.

Of course, playing A-A this way will sometimes get you into trouble. Most novice players believe you should always play A-A fast and bet it strong in order to not get "sucked out on." But, I believe that if you play the hand this way against the right opponents, you will see positive expected value over the long run. Before you automatically think to raise all-in with A-A, think about how you can get the most value out of the hand against certain players that you know.

TOP PHOTO: Every poker player's dream - pocket aces.