HOW TO FOLD KK: No more AJ's

Friday, March 27, 2009

No more AJ's

I am done, done, done. No more playing AJ. Sooted, offsuit, early position, late position, or guaranteed winner. I'm just not doing it. Three times this week, deep in a tourney, I have lost with AJ. AND, it has been me getting it in behind.

That's right. It's not a curse. It's not superstition. IT'S A SHITTY HAND. I can't seem to get that through my head. So, an EP player raises and I shove -EVEN THOUGH HE HAS ME COVERED, because I have the MIGHTY ACE JACK. He tables AQ and I go home. . . Example 2: We are on the bubble of a 2,000+ player tournament. Next person is the bubble: 1 person to go. Just 1 and then we are in the money. I have ~4,000 with 250/500 blinds. Plenty of money to get past the bubble. BUT WAIT. I am on the button with the MIGHTY ACE JACK. Everyone folds to me so I figure to pick up the blinds easy and I shove EVEN THOUGH THE SB HAS ME COVERED. He calls, tables AK and I go home on the bubble.

So go ahead and shove on me when the flop comes KQ10. Because I don't have the nuts! Flop comes AAJ? Shove away! I won't have AJ underneath. I might have A5 (right Buddydank?), but not AJ.

OH. And one more joy of online poker. Last night while playing more than 1 table at a time. I shoved on a Queen high pot with AQ. Villian calls and shows AQ. Nice -split pot. Oh wait, while I was hastily moving back and forth between tables, I didn't realize I had A10 on that table, not AQ. Worse than the accidental call: the shove with a hand you don't have....

So much fun.

Hope the tables are treating you well. Stay patient....

6 comments:

Schaubs said...: I swear I read something about you calling Bayne with that hand...?

I have to go find it.; March 27, 2009 at 3:04 PM
Jeremy said...: I mostly agree with you about AJ. However, on the bubble, on the button and less than 10bbs I hate folding there. I used to play that way just hoping to cash. But to play for 3 or 4 hours and fold there just hoping to get a little more than your buyin back is a bad play in my opinion, unless it's the bubble for a satellite or a high buy in tourney.
I read some other blogs that your call with a5 against buddy was after he reraised the pot, but if i remember right was just a ep raise. You just got lucky and he overplayed em.
Anyway thanks for linking my blog. I just got it going. Not a lot of time to keep it up, but I'm gonna try. My 4 kids keep me busy too! I put your link on my site also. L8; March 27, 2009 at 4:08 PM
lj said...: +1 to jeremy on bubble play. you are not playing to min cash, jesus. except if i am in the blinds, i will always have AK, so you should fold AJ if it's folded to you on the button.; March 28, 2009 at 7:17 PM
Jeremy said...: It really depends on the buy-in of the tourney and my bankroll. I hate changing my play just because of the bubble unless it is a significant cash and I need the money. If its a small tourney (10 - 30) and I'm 50 away from the cash and have 8bb's, I'm pushing AJ from the button 99% of the time in an unopened pot. The only time I don't is with loose big stack in the blinds. Just my opinion.; March 28, 2009 at 10:52 PM
jamyhawk said...: Yeah, I guess you are both right. AJ should be +EV in that situation. Just frustrating. And believe me, I rarely play tight at the bubble. It's really the best time to pick up the blinds.

Shabazz, I did call his EP opening and it was only for about 3x BB maybe 4. If someone was in before him it was a limp, but I don't remember it. I had A5 soooooted and figured I could stack him if I hit my flush or even 2 pair. Set was nice. I was also on a hot run catching everything I played right then. So why not keep seeing flops when I was sitting with so many chips and had been almost out of the tournament a few hands earlier.

I would try to find where you saw the post and explain my play, but it's probably better to look like the loose donkey that I am.; March 30, 2009 at 1:36 PM
smokkee said...: AJ is usually a deal breaker if you get called. but as mentioned previously, you can't really fold it in that spot. you made the right play, just got unlucky.; April 3, 2009 at 4:27 AM