How to play AA and KK - updated 30.01.08

23 Jan, 2008 hand-example

First of all: This post as a little experiment in the blogosphere - i’ll let the post develop over time as I get some good hand examples.

Secondly: I often hear myself complaining over my Rockets being sucked out on for the fifth time within the hour. Thats why this post will be about how to play rockets, cowboys, American Airline - the two golden starting hands of Hold’em - KK and AA.

As I in the currents state of my poker “career”, don’t think, I’m in a position to teach anybody on how to play a specific hand (except for fast and strong in this example), the post will be more like an introduction to a discussion on how to play the monsters of monsters inHold’em

For now I have two hands where the pots really built up fast and I got my stack in with the best hand (I promissed one of the guys not to reveal his nick, as he didn’t want to be famous for playing badly, though I would’ve played his AQ the same way:

Check out the hands and drop a comment, maybe even your own hand-example, so that we all could get a little wiser and thereby get even more value from our monsters when they finaly come by!

In this next hand my opponent somehow gets him self commited (at least he thinks so) with what I consider a rather weak hand (top pair 5 kicker) and we actually end allin on the flop after I have raised 4xBB (my standard raise which I use 99% of the time in an effort not to reveal my hand preflop) preflop and he pushes allin after I raise his bet on flop:

I hope I will get a chance to show some more subtile hand-examples as its my weak opponents who has actually done all the “work” in the 3 hands above.

28.01.08: I’ve come with another interesting KK-hand, and this time it’s my opponent who holds the monster, but I don’t like the passive way he plays his hand. What I do like though is my bluff at river:)

30.01.08: Again it’s the other guy who plays AA in a kinda risky way. I’m actually rather satisfied with my own play in the hand:

I still wonder why this guy comitted himself the way he did preflop:

4 Comments - you say something?

January 23, 2008 12:20 Hans

Know your enemy!

I think the AQ vs. KK hand is interesting. First of all it is a quite aggressive but reasonable raise on the button by AQ. The raise narrows down the calling range of the original raiser. Which hands can profitably call out of position? JJ, QQ, KK, AA and TT, AK - maybe AQ and KQs. AQ then hits the flop but KK has made a solid bet… What does this mean? It could be a feeler bet with TT, JJ, AQ or a bluff with AK. Still there is a possibility for a lower pp - but lets rule that out. Turn comes T and the betting goes check, bet, raise allin, call. The bet by the button is the fatal mistake in this hand imo and it should have been a check instead - here is why: T means that there is one hand less that AQ beats. AQ loses to AA, KK, QQ, TT. Why bet when there is no value? JJ, AK, KQ probably folds and AQ risks getting stacked by better hands. One could argue that the bet could get AK, KQ or JJ to make a loose call. This argument only holds against fish. And I dont think this is the case here…? A check also might induce a bet on the river by a worse hand and the A could still hit which probably could make AK go stacking…

January 23, 2008 18:20 admin

TY for a great analysis Hans, I think we all learned a little there - I know I did for sure.

I can’t help wondering if you were that other player?

January 24, 2008 10:08 Mikael Laursen

Not really a comment on the hand, but your username is possible to read on one of the pictures!!!

It’s the one, where you got AA.. I wont tell anyone

January 24, 2008 12:27 admin

Hey Mikael, ty for stickin’ round.

I’ve decided to not hide my nick anymore for two reasons:

1. Readers who signup at Carbon through within1000days should be able to find /follow me in there

2. It doesn’t look like I can get the name changed (wanted it to be within1000days ofcourse).

But ty for keeping eye!

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January 23, 2008 12:20 Hans

Know your enemy!

I think the AQ vs. KK hand is interesting. First of all it is a quite aggressive but reasonable raise on the button by AQ. The raise narrows down the calling range of the original raiser. Which hands can profitably call out of position? JJ, QQ, KK, AA and TT, AK - maybe AQ and KQs. AQ then hits the flop but KK has made a solid bet… What does this mean? It could be a feeler bet with TT, JJ, AQ or a bluff with AK. Still there is a possibility for a lower pp - but lets rule that out. Turn comes T and the betting goes check, bet, raise allin, call. The bet by the button is the fatal mistake in this hand imo and it should have been a check instead - here is why: T means that there is one hand less that AQ beats. AQ loses to AA, KK, QQ, TT. Why bet when there is no value? JJ, AK, KQ probably folds and AQ risks getting stacked by better hands. One could argue that the bet could get AK, KQ or JJ to make a loose call. This argument only holds against fish. And I dont think this is the case here…? A check also might induce a bet on the river by a worse hand and the A could still hit which probably could make AK go stacking…
January 23, 2008 18:20 admin

TY for a great analysis Hans, I think we all learned a little there - I know I did for sure.

I can’t help wondering if you were that other player?
January 24, 2008 10:08 Mikael Laursen

Not really a comment on the hand, but your username is possible to read on one of the pictures!!!

It’s the one, where you got AA.. I wont tell anyone
January 24, 2008 12:27 admin

Hey Mikael, ty for stickin’ round.

I’ve decided to not hide my nick anymore for two reasons:

1. Readers who signup at Carbon through within1000days should be able to find /follow me in there

2. It doesn’t look like I can get the name changed (wanted it to be within1000days ofcourse).

But ty for keeping eye!

within1000days.com

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