Playing AA - Exploiting The Rockets

Don Carlito

I would like some critique on how I could have capitalized on the following two situations with my Pocket Rockets.

Yeah I know am playing for chump change here however I felt uneasy about my play afterwards. Did I play these wrong? In both situations I felt noone had me beat.

PokerStars Game #710767140: Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2004/09/22 -
02:52:09 (ET)
Table 'Ophiuchus' Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: vcci ($33.70 in chips)
Seat 2: ssarss ($27.30 in chips)
Seat 3: Don Carlito ($23 in chips)
Seat 5: ShakeXXX ($4 in chips)
Seat 6: Ace1177 ($25 in chips)
Seat 7: monkeypaw ($33.60 in chips)
Seat 8: elgrundo ($35.70 in chips)
Seat 9: NiteGod ($39.05 in chips)
ShakeXXX: posts small blind $0.10
Ace1177: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Don Carlito [A:diamond: A:club:]
monkeypaw: folds
elgrundo: folds
NiteGod: folds
vcci: calls $0.25
ssarss: folds
Don Carlito: raises $0.50 to $0.75
ShakeXXX: calls $0.65
Ace1177: folds
vcci: calls $0.50
*** FLOP *** [6:club: 5:diamond: A]
ShakeXXX: checks
vcci: checks
Don Carlito: checks
*** TURN *** [6:club: 5:diamond: A] [K:diamond:]
ShakeXXX: checks
vcci: checks
Don Carlito: bets $0.25
ShakeXXX: calls $0.25
vcci: calls $0.25
*** RIVER *** [6:club: 5:diamond: A K:diamond:] [K:spade:]
ShakeXXX: checks
vcci: checks
elgrundo said, "good nite boy"
Don Carlito: bets $3
ShakeXXX: folds
vcci: folds
Don Carlito collected $3.10 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $3.25 | Rake $0.15
Board [[6:club: 5:diamond: A K:diamond: K:spade:]
Seat 1: vcci folded on the River
Seat 2: ssarss folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: Don Carlito (button) collected ($3.10)
Seat 5: ShakeXXX (small blind) folded on the River
Seat 6: Ace1177 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: monkeypaw folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: elgrundo folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: NiteGod folded before Flop (didn't bet)

---

PokerStars Game #710736485: Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2004/09/22 -
02:31:22 (ET)
Table 'Paaliaq' Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: fogtou ($8.20 in chips)
Seat 2: billylepok ($46.80 in chips)
Seat 3: JB57 ($16.50 in chips)
Seat 4: Don Carlito ($24.25 in chips)
Seat 5: BlackDeath25 ($17.35 in chips)
Seat 6: kdooove ($24.35 in chips)
Seat 7: TheGoodThief ($26.10 in chips)
Seat 8: ssarss ($23.70 in chips)
Seat 9: Boggs111 ($34.60 in chips)
fogtou: posts small blind $0.10
billylepok: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Don Carlito [A:club: A]
JB57: folds
JB57 leaves the table
Don Carlito: raises $0.50 to $0.75
BlackDeath25: folds
kdooove: calls $0.75
TheGoodThief: calls $0.75
ssarss: folds
Boggs111: folds
fogtou: folds
billylepok: calls $0.50
*** FLOP *** [5:spade: A:spade: 5:diamond:]
fogtou leaves the table
billylepok: checks
Don Carlito: bets $0.25
kdooove: raises $0.75 to $1
TheGoodThief: folds
billylepok: folds
Don Carlito: calls $0.75
*** TURN *** [5:spade: A:spade: 5:diamond:] [3:club:]
Don Carlito: checks
kdooove: bets $2
Don Carlito: calls $2
*** RIVER *** [5:spade: A:spade: 5:diamond: 3:club:] [J]
Don Carlito: bets $5
kdooove: folds
Don Carlito collected $8.70 from pot
Don Carlito: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $9.10 | Rake $0.40
Board [5:spade: A:spade: 5:diamond: 3:club: J]
Seat 1: fogtou (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: billylepok (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: JB57 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Don Carlito collected ($8.70)
Seat 5: BlackDeath25 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: kdooove folded on the River
Seat 7: TheGoodThief folded on the Flop
Seat 8: ssarss folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Boggs111 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet

Chugs

I think you made a better move the second time, by putting a small bet out on the flop.

Something tiny that looks like, heh maybe everybody will fold. It will be viewed likely as weakness.


On the second hand, checking the river may not be a bad call. The player was either agressively betting a flush draw that missed or was betting with an 'A'. I either check or put in a tiny bet like $1.50 - $2.00 which may get called or even look like weakness and get raised back at me.

just my 2 cents

BBC Z

If you are varying your bets when you hold monster hands, you are giving away a lot of information. You don't want to be potting it with TPTK and raising micro amounts when you have big hands.. Play them the same and the cally wallies will be a callin' because they won't really know what you have.. If everyone lands up folding to your big bet, then it was just bad luck that they didnt catch enough of the flop to play. You probably would have won any more chips from them anyway.

I liked the play on the 2nd hand. He hits his flush and you'll win a ton of chips.

PokerStars Game #710767140: Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2004/09/22 -
02:52:09 (ET)

Oh, you are playing at a pokerstars ring game. Thats why everyone folded.

Don Carlito

Thanks guys,


Yes, I believe now that checking (with the intent to raise a little) on the river should've been the correct call in the second play.


As far as varying my game with monster hands, its just something I always do in fear of being read by my opponent. However, this may lead to a decrease in blind steal opportunities if I don't make it known that I will always play tough preflop with my monster hands.