Hey guys. I was playing tonight and I received A-rag almost every other hand it seemed for a good 30 minutes. I was just wondering what you guys do given A-rag...
Hey guys. I was playing tonight and I received A-rag almost every other hand it seemed for a good 30 minutes. I was just wondering what you guys do given A-rag...
Keith man, you don't have to be like that. I was just wondering as I picked up that hand up like 40 times in 30 minutes and I was looking at how to play it properly. :oops:
You're going to fold it everytime? What about A-T?
Generally at a SNG with 6 or 7 players left I'd still not be playing a bad Ace too often. Sounds like it's early yet.
Ax gains slightly more value in the later stages, when there's more stealing going on, and/or there's a better chance at getting heads-up with it in situations where you suspect your opponent may not have a legitimate hand. Ax enjoys being all-in pre-flop versus a random hand.
ATo is still pretty much in the A-rag column in most situations. In cases where A-rag is good, AT is probably good too, but don't get carried away. I think a lot of people tend to over-value ATo and even AJo in most situations. Of course, in cases where an A-rag will do anyway, a good kicker is going to add quite a bit more punch.
MiamiKeith's comments are pretty much right on (perhaps minus the snarky attitude) for most situations in a cash game. Your original question didn't really give enough information. (e.g. Were you talking about a cash game or tournament?) Maybe that's why he thought the question was too elementary for him.
However, even in a cash game A-rag can have some uses, in pretty much the same scenarios as I outlined for tournaments. That is, it may be worth taking up against an opponent when you have reason to believe they have a random (or otherwise non-legitimate) hand. But again, don't take this idea to far, and avoid making "my opponent might be trying to steal" an excuse to play weak hands like Ax in situations where it's not called for.
Although it does have a few specific uses, Ax is *generally* a bad hand. It was an important day for me in my own early poker education (and I remember it) when I figured why I should quit playing A8o pre-flop in full low-limit ring games.
Keith man, you don't have to be like that. I was just wondering as I picked up that hand up like 40 times in 30 minutes and I was looking at how to play it properly. :oops:
You're going to fold it everytime? What about A-T?
No, I seriously thought it was a trick question. I thought I was gonna say fold, and you were gonna say something like, "Oh, yeah? I was heads up" or something like that. ;-)
Actually it was kind of a trick question since it was a tourney. I thought you meant a ring game. Then I'll fold it pretty much every time... unless it's suited and I can get in cheap. Ummm... personally, in a sit-n-go, I won't play ace-rag 6 or 7 handed unless I am desperate, or if it's some special situation, like I am the small blind, it folds around to me, and I can put the BB all-in for very little (ie he pretty much has to call with any 2 cards). I might try to steal the blinds with it if I think I can get away with it and they are worth stealing, but then again I'll do that with any 2 cards.
But ace-10 is not ace-rag. It's a pretty good hand 6-handed. I guess. I dunno. I don't even like Ace-king. I'm sure not going to fall in love with ace-rag. Or even ace-10. This is why I don't like tournaments.
I never play Ace-rag in a ring game or the early stages of a tournament, unless it was suited AND I can see the flop for cheap. If those conditions are not met then it's going to the muck.
If I am the button, cutoff, or one more seat to the right I will almost always raise if there is one caller or no callers when it gets to me. A-x will be a positive expetation hand in the case.
This will, of course, depend upon how good a handle I feel I have on my opponents.
Greg Raymer (now WSOP Champ) commented recently on RGP something like: "There is no hand I will not play if the circumstances are not right." I think Greg is right.
I used to play by a "very flexible rule" that I wouldn't play anything under A6 but as I play more and more I find that I am generally more successful with A2.3.4.5 and A10 and above of course then I am with the 6,7,8,9 with Ace. I suppose it is often easier to fold Ace/rag when the flop doesn't hit, I will actually often fold my ace rag post flop if an ace is on board and someone is betting hard on it. I agree with Dave that you can pretty much play anything if the circumstances are right but for "general rules" I like playing A rag in late position without a raiser but fold A6,7,8,9 and below to any single raise.
If I am the button, cutoff, or one more seat to the right I will almost always raise if there is one caller or no callers when it gets to me. A-x will be a positive expetation hand in the case.
Do you mean just in a tournament, or in ring games too? In unraked ring games, I will sometimes raise and put pressure on the blinds with hands like this (and worse). I'm not sure how well it's worked out for me. Against players who realize what I'm up to and will bet into me with little or nothing, it leads to some difficult post-flop decisions (I guess the decisions are difficult for them too, and I have position... I dunno)
Comments
What game are you playing? If it's a tournament, what's the situation?
ScottyZ
Umm.... Fold?
Is this a trick question?
Keith
Keith man, you don't have to be like that. I was just wondering as I picked up that hand up like 40 times in 30 minutes and I was looking at how to play it properly. :oops:
You're going to fold it everytime? What about A-T?
Ax gains slightly more value in the later stages, when there's more stealing going on, and/or there's a better chance at getting heads-up with it in situations where you suspect your opponent may not have a legitimate hand. Ax enjoys being all-in pre-flop versus a random hand.
ATo is still pretty much in the A-rag column in most situations. In cases where A-rag is good, AT is probably good too, but don't get carried away. I think a lot of people tend to over-value ATo and even AJo in most situations. Of course, in cases where an A-rag will do anyway, a good kicker is going to add quite a bit more punch.
MiamiKeith's comments are pretty much right on (perhaps minus the snarky attitude) for most situations in a cash game. Your original question didn't really give enough information. (e.g. Were you talking about a cash game or tournament?) Maybe that's why he thought the question was too elementary for him.
However, even in a cash game A-rag can have some uses, in pretty much the same scenarios as I outlined for tournaments. That is, it may be worth taking up against an opponent when you have reason to believe they have a random (or otherwise non-legitimate) hand. But again, don't take this idea to far, and avoid making "my opponent might be trying to steal" an excuse to play weak hands like Ax in situations where it's not called for.
Although it does have a few specific uses, Ax is *generally* a bad hand. It was an important day for me in my own early poker education (and I remember it) when I figured why I should quit playing A8o pre-flop in full low-limit ring games.
ScottyZ
No, I seriously thought it was a trick question. I thought I was gonna say fold, and you were gonna say something like, "Oh, yeah? I was heads up" or something like that. ;-)
Actually it was kind of a trick question since it was a tourney. I thought you meant a ring game. Then I'll fold it pretty much every time... unless it's suited and I can get in cheap. Ummm... personally, in a sit-n-go, I won't play ace-rag 6 or 7 handed unless I am desperate, or if it's some special situation, like I am the small blind, it folds around to me, and I can put the BB all-in for very little (ie he pretty much has to call with any 2 cards). I might try to steal the blinds with it if I think I can get away with it and they are worth stealing, but then again I'll do that with any 2 cards.
But ace-10 is not ace-rag. It's a pretty good hand 6-handed. I guess. I dunno. I don't even like Ace-king. I'm sure not going to fall in love with ace-rag. Or even ace-10. This is why I don't like tournaments.
Keith
No snark! Not intentional anyway.
Keith
Don't worry man...no harm done
Thank you both for your input. I have a freeroll coming up in about 10 minutes which I hope to do well in using my newly acquired A-rag knowledge
This will, of course, depend upon how good a handle I feel I have on my opponents.
Greg Raymer (now WSOP Champ) commented recently on RGP something like: "There is no hand I will not play if the circumstances are not right." I think Greg is right.
stp
Do you mean just in a tournament, or in ring games too? In unraked ring games, I will sometimes raise and put pressure on the blinds with hands like this (and worse). I'm not sure how well it's worked out for me. Against players who realize what I'm up to and will bet into me with little or nothing, it leads to some difficult post-flop decisions (I guess the decisions are difficult for them too, and I have position... I dunno)
Keith