AA or KK very early in a multi

[Penguinfan]

Do you go all-in pre-flop or slow play them. I almost always push all-in especially if it was raised before me simply because there are a ton of bad players in these games and someone is gonna call you, now I know AA is not invinceable, but I'll take my chances. I was called by 4 people on the second hand of a tourney once with AA and it held up, believe it or not after checking the lobby board I was still not the leader

Thoughts?

Penguinfan

[Aequitas58]

The question is not whether you go ALL IN with AA or KK pre-flop in a tourney. If you are doing this, then you are not making as much money as you can. The power of AA and KK is such that you are already a big favorite to win the hand. Granted, these power hands (specifically, AA and KK) CAN be beaten, so you shouldn't play a family pot w/ AA! The main goal is isolating 1-3 players where you have a clear advantage. [Not counting what the flop brings.] This shifts the implied odds of already winning the hand in your favor. Going all in is silly, IMO, because in most situations, you'll only pick up the blinds.

So how to play AA and KK? Depends on position and chip count, in my opinion. Maybe a raise 4-6x BB? Maybe an all-in raise if you have a low amount of chips.

I pose another question: Say you have KK on the button, first hand of the tournament. UTG raises all-in, and there is one caller before you. What do you do? [I know what I do, because I know how I play, but I'm just wondering...]

Hope this helps somewhat.

[2Tone]

The early rounds of a typical $5+1 Party SNG are just so crazy that you are likely to get a couple of callers and can triple up. Naturally, the higher the buy-in, the less wild play, so I'd play them differently at a $30+3.

[Talking Poker]

All in or just call? Neither.

I almost always play AA and KK for a standard raise. If I get reraised, then I have a decision to make - and more often than not, that's when I push in.

[Aequitas58]

Exactly. Pushing all in would realistically scare off money you could win.

[Penguinfan]

Good answers, my point was just that it seems you can get callers by people holding as little as Axs and bouble/triple up quickly. Later in the game I always play them for a standard raise and then if re-raised I push em all-in. The reason I asked was because the other day I got AA first hand and got called by A9s and KQo and tripled plus some on the first hand and was curious if anyone else sees this happen.

[Aequitas58]

Yes. The 5+1 games almost resemble the Free 10+1 tournaments! For my money, I'd rather play the 10 or 20s; the action is still good, and you can make more money.

[brokeagain]

I generally like to see a flop before I commit all of my chips, although some situations warrant you to put all your chips in. Is that situation early in a multi where blinds are 15/30, someone has raised to 300, and there is two callers before it gets to you??? Tough decision, is the hand worth all of your chips before the flop? Yes, but is it still worth all of your chips before the flop when 5 players see the flop? Hmmmm....wheres Yoon when you need 'her'?

[GeoffM]

If I am sitting on AA and someone in front of me puts in a decent size raise, my chips are going in the pot. You have the best hand and what better of a situation could you ask for. I would do this in any position, because you have to figure the worst you could be up against is a pair, or maybe get 2 callers and be up against 2 pairs. If this happens, you have to figure there is only 4 outs that you lose to, so it is like those 2 pairs against you are drawing to an inside straight. I have won countless tournaments online being called by KK and QQ on the same hand and the board not helping noone.

[brokeagain]

Sure, it is easy when no one has entered the pot and the player to your right opens big, but what do you do when blinds are 15/30, A opens for 300, and B and C call before it gets to you and you have T800 and two of the players have you covered? Do you want to risk all of your chips this early knowing that if you pop all in you may get at least 2 callers? I think I like to see the flop in that spot and pop it if I get the chance. Getting all my chips in with 4-5 players seeing the flop leaves me helpless, I don't like this situation at all. I need all my chip in with AA in a HU pot. Multi Pots=AA death.

[GeoffM]

Absolutely, if I'm low on chips, the more, the merrier. How often do you get a chance to triple or quadruple up with AA in your hand. Hit that third A and your good, or if the board is pure rags, again you are usually ok, especially with a lot of callers when you go all-in. If you can't play your AA with X number of callers, what can you play? You will have to assume that many of the big cards the other players are holding are in each others hands, so their number of outs is reduced.

[bothecorgi]

I think its best to get your chips in heads up or with only 2 other callers if you have AA. Obviously, the odds of AA holding up go down as more people are in the pot so I think it is not a good idea to let too many people see the flop.