Hands that are cursed

[viCtory]

Oh god the horrors of an AA.

I guess its just that when you think of AA in the hole you think of a sure thing - and to get unlucky with it will make it stick out more than any other hand.

I still go for it though - no regrest ;)

[trustme]

dude, all you can do is get your chips in and start praying

[Matty H]

I think you have to make a substantial raise if you're holding pocket Aces. You only want one other runner with you ideally. Limping in might sometimes work but you're asking for trouble more often than not in my opinion. If you have several runners the chances of one high pair taking down the pot decrease markedly.

I suppose an all in bet and everyone folding is equally ideal if your philosophy is that's it's better to win small than lose big

[The Philosopher]

Having AA and how you play it surely depends on a number of things - e.g.

Heads-up and me to go first - check or small raise. An all in does not encourage a bet or call and the probability of getting beat is low. And this is modified by the table image of the other player. In fact everything I write is modified by the table image of your opponents and what you think is their image of you. And what you think, they think, you think of them.

Heads up and me to play to a check - make medium raise to see if the fool is setting a trap for me and entice them all-in.

Against Matty H - and if his bet led me to believe he had one of his premium hands - I would go all-in cos I guess he will always call with a premium. Playing so tight is a visible strategy and opponents will find ways around it e.g. drown you in the river an even more premium hand like AA.

Playing under the gun in a full ring I would always go all-in. Need to thin the field cos a single pair is rarely going to win a full ring game. Playing in position in a full ring game with 50% folds and a few limpers I ma try to keep the limpers in - depends on the blind sizes and overall pot size - if it is worth it go all in.

AA is an interesting question but at least as interesting is when to go all-in with 7-2o? Or, like Doyle, when to play 10-2.