The Poker Grafter

You can wait an eternity for AA to finally find you, so it’s only human nature that you want to make the most of it when the rockets finally arrive. The only problem is that the unbeatable pre-flop cards are distinctly beatable once you see a flop. The best start cards in poker are also among the most over-valued. AA gives you a pre-flop edge, you are a favourite – you are not invincible.

Newcomers to Holdem are particularly prone to slowplaying the big guns. When I started playing I probably limped in with AA more often than I raised, assuming I was first into the pot. I thought there was nothing more annoying than raising three times the big blind just to see everybody fold. If it was the early stages of a sit-n-go I’d be acquiring a meagre 30 chips from the blinds with the best possible holding. Sickening. This happened to me once or twice before I vowed that next time I would just call pre-flop and guarantee some action.

Twenty minutes later I was fortunate enough to pick up AA again which I had already resolved to call with pre-flop. Inevitably nobody raised behind me and I seemed to trigger off some sort of limp-fest. All the calling stations came leaping out of the woodwork. Seven people saw the flop and before I knew it I had my chips all-in to ultimately lose against 10-9 and J10. It’s around this moment that I, like most new players, realised that what’s worse than winning 30 chips with AA is losing 1500 chips with the same hand.

Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a black or white decision-making process; I’ve seen the slowplayed rockets triple-up many a player. It can provide an element of disguise to a hand that combined with its inherent strength can be very potent. But when I look at the many examples of a slowplayed AA triumphing it will normally be because the hand is a strong one and not because ‘calling’ pre-flop was an act of unfathomable genius. As always every situation has to be looked at on its own merits. What I would say with confidence and experience is that when I do assess the scenarios nowadays, playing AA as fast as possible seems like the correct move 90% of the time. When you’ve lost thousands of times with AA you start to appreciate its true value. Top pair is a good hand but certainly not a great one in the context of a seven-card game.

The play after the flop is, of course, massively important. Up to this point I’ve generally equated ‘slowplay’ with ‘calling’ pre-flop. But many an ill-advised player takes the trap concept further by checking a threatening board with the sole intention of raising after the turn or river. If you witness this play pattern in a multi-way pot you’ll know that you’re either up against a novice or a poor player. If another ace doesn’t arrive by the river it’s pure insanity to be milking the pot with nothing more than a pair, albeit a very good one. There comes a point when slowplay and bad play amounts to the same thing.

Threatening boards for AA include a flopped pair, particularly with two queens or kings. Now you should be worried about anyone who’s seen a flop with the likes of AQ, AK or KQ, which is quite likely in a multi-way pot. Other potential flop dangers obviously include flush and straight draws, but in these cases you should be ahead and must bet firmly to charge people to chase. But the real danger is that every flop looks quite good with AA in the locker. Learning how to throw the hand away at the right moment is the real test of champions. We’ve all played against players who call all-in with AK after a low flop. Just imagine what sort of cataclysmic event would have to take place to make them fold the bullets!

So when is a good time to finesse play AA? (When I say finesse I essentially mean slowplaying with guile, and reasoning that goes beyond ‘if I raise, everyone else might fold…which is annoying’) Well, if a tournament is short-handed and has essentially become a push and fold contest it is a particularly great time to wake up with aces. If I could choose my moment to trap with a premium hand this would be it, and I want to be in the small blind as well, if that’s not asking too much. In this seat, and with only the blinds to act, a call will normally look like a weak play and the big blind is quite likely to push. Perfect. For me, this is one of the few occasions when a raise may be the wrong move to make. The seat position is crucial though because a flat call on the button for example can seem very suspicious. If a player who has raised or folded every single time suddenly limps in, the alarm bells are ringing. The monster hand is too easily flagged up.

Tellingly, the top players rarely muck about with their best hands. This is normally as good a guide to how to play as you will get. If you frequently slowplay and trap with any two cards you’ll get burnt. And don’t expect any sympathy when you lose trying to be sneaky with AA. Everyone else at the table wants the same cards and the opportunity to play them properly.

Simon Ballou writes for Oddschecker Poker