How would you have played this hand?

Question

I had a pair of Aces. The blinds were 50 & 100 (not actual cash). I tried slow playing the hand to get more money. The flop came in with two hearts on the board. I decided to move all in. My opponent moved all in.
I lost to him. He had a pair of hearts in his hand and caught the fifth heart on the river.
Would you have played this hand any differently?

Since it was a pot for $25. I wondering if I played the hand right and that if the pot was for a more significant amount of money that he may have folded.

Answer 1

You say the blinds were 50/100 not actual cash, but the pot was for $25? I will assume you mean that this was a freeroll tournament with a $25 prize pool. There are variables that should have dictated your play. Without talking about chip stacks yet, what position were you in? If you were in early position, it is a good play to slow play preflop and just call the bb hoping to get a re-raise from late position or the button. If you did get re-raised then you would of course place a large re-raise to pick-up the pot, if you actually get called, it will be by a big hand that you have dominated (Can't imagine too many calls to a big check raise from early position with any two random suited cards) In late position, with more than one caller ahead of you - you should have raised preflop to weed out hands like the one you lost to. If you get called it is probably by a smaller pocket pair or A,x both of which you have dominated. After the flop, you should be cautious about a couple of hearts because you may have let one or more suited hands play by only calling the big blind. But your hand is still good. Pocket hearts is only a 2-1 shot to make it's flush. Here's where chip stack comes in. By calling your bet, your opponent is getting better than 50% on his money to make the call. (Your bet, plus the antes and blinds already posted/called) Although this does not give him the right pot odds to make the call, if it wouldn't cost him too much of his stack to call (under 30% is where I would draw the limit), it is not that bad of a call. His hand would be even more attractive to call if he paired a card on the flop giving him at least a pair, possibly top pair and a flush draw. In the end the way you played it was still acceptable - you got all your money in as a minimum 2-1 favorite. I will say though, an all in bet into a pot of only antes, blinds, and called blinds is way overbet - you are only going to get called by hands you stand to bust out against. I everyone folds, all you won was 300 or 400 chips!

Answer 2

I always raise pre flop with AA. Let your opponents know your on a decent hand. (don't raise to much you do want action with AA). If my hand does not improve you gotta know where you stand so I would make a pot sized bet. If someone calls then they either hit the flop or are chasing something. Looking at the board you should have a good idea of what they are doing. So if two suited cards are on the board be careful if the 3rd comes.

Not razing pre flop with AA leads to limper's if 4 or 5 others limp in your win % could go down to 50%. Heads up with AA your about 83% against any two cards.

I to have learned that lesson way to many times. So play those big hands aggressively.

Answer 3

Two hearts on the flop, i would have folded, to much of a chance of having a flush, there are more hearts in a deck than Aces, and if no other cards gave you 3 of a kind, or least 2 pair, I would be out.

Answer 4

You say you tried slow playing it? Moving all in after the flop is not slow playing.

It depends on how many people were playing. Heads up, all in would be a good idea, but at a big table aces probably won't win.

Answer 5

yeah, you had better odds of winning than he did (im guessing you play hold'em). i think you have about a 30% or so chance of hitting the flush with 4 suited cards, and you would have likely won unless he had 2 pair.

Answer 6

i wanna play hold'em against James up there. You don't fold after the flop holding pocket aces?!?!?!

Answer 7

I probably wouldn't have gone all in, but made a bet large enough to show I had confidence in my hand, but also had cash to up my bet, in case anybody came sniffing around.

Answer 8

I would've folded after the flop.

Answer 9

I probably would have played the hand just as you did...your opponent " lucked out. "

Answer 10

some of these people are two hardcore i would go all in in a heatbeat.... they do call me all in anthony u no


ps u think u can beat me bring it on