$1/2 NL: AA in MP with one exposed card (1 Viewer)

[jbutler]

Stopped into Borgata very briefly to cash some chips in. Only had about an hour to play before leaving to meet my wife for dinner (off property) so I sat down at $1/2.

About 40 minutes into the session I accidentally expose my first card dealt and it's the . Since it was exposed through my error rather than the dealer's I keep it and it must remain face up. No big deal. Next card dealt: . Two folds to me in MP and I raise to $10 (in the range of my standard raise for the last 40 minutes). People laugh and I say, "What, I have an ace?"

Two callers - CO and BTN - including one guy I know plays $5/10 NL and who I often see mulling around elsewhere in the high room. I know him as a bit of a moody player - can spew and can tighten up. He had just walked over about an orbit prior and bought in with $300 in green chips. I think he is probably losing substantially for the weekend if he's playing $1/2, but I have no specific memory as to his tendencies when he's stuck a lot. He felted a guy when he got in AJ vs. AK on an AJ4ss flop. He now sits at about $500 and I cover. Other villain is not relevant.

Flop ($33):

I'm first to act in MP. My play?

 

[kirchhausen]

bet $22

 

[detroitdad]

Bet 25

 

[MegaTon44]

Jam!!!

Oh, that's not a valid strategy for every post here? Hmmm...well, I'm sure you can go all in later on in the hand, right? [emoji14]

Seriously though, 80% of the pot, so $26

 

[Forty4]

That's a tough one because of half your hand being exposed. They know you're not on any draws with that board and your exposed card. Most bets are going to look like you're repping AK down to A10, maybe down to A8 with that flop. That being said I think you'd actually be able to get over bets called. Quickly grab some red's to throw in the middle and hope it's between $25-$35. I actually think a Crazy LAG style will play well in this hand with the A exposed. I'm interested to see if they fire back at you.

I like this one very unique.

 

[Trihonda]

Fire in $25.

 

[detroitdad]

Bet 25

Fire in $25.

great minds think alike

 

[Trihonda]

great minds think alike

I'm kinda anticipating a raise from moody tho...

 

[detroitdad]

I'm kinda anticipating a raise from moody tho...

I hope so

 

[jbutler]

Okay, flop isn't that interesting, so moving along.

I bet $30, CO folds. BTN makes a snicker sound but without a smile on his face and calls.

Flop ($33):

Turn ($93):

What now, geniuses?

 

[bentax1978]

What now, geniuses?

Hard to say, I would have folded preflop



edit: actually, I wouldn't have folded preflop, but I would have exchanged the ace for a face down card. But given that we can't go back in time, I'm waiting to see how this plays out.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Shoulda jammed pre. Why are you trying to be greedy?

 

[Trihonda]

Well, BTN obv has TJ. You're efffed. Jam?

OK, for realz, I bet $75-80. If BTN calls, then you might be beat... Or he might have QQ.

 

[MegaTon44]

In response to the snicker, say something douchey like "we'll see how hard you're laughing when I stack you, toughguy. [pushing in your entire stack]. All you can eat, bitch!"

I'd probably bet $75.

 

[Forty4]

Say you picked up outs and fire $80.

 

[bergs]

With the exposed card, I would've jammed on the flop and grinned maniacally. On this flop I'm bet/folding $100.

 

[thorwilliam]

Difficult spot. I think I would check. Villain knows that we can't have better than one pair, and building this pot more deep, oop on this board doesn't seem like a good proposition to me.

 

[Ben]

C/C flop, C/jam turn. Give villain a chance to spew against the exposed ace. Playing my hand literally face-up 250 bb deep is not my idea of a good spot.

 

[jbutler]

C/C flop, C/jam turn. Give villain a chance to spew against the exposed ace. Playing my hand literally face-up 250 bb deep is not my idea of a good spot.

Certainly agree with the latter sentiment.

 

[Ronoh]

I'd say the only ways to play the hand are a) jam preflop or b) bet half your stack preflop and jam any flop.

You're probably getting a table full of folds and picking up the blinds but there could be that one guy who's calling with a broadway ace or any pair thinking you're being silly. Regardless, it's better than trying to figure out how to play one card after the flop.

 

[jbutler]

Regardless, it's better than trying to figure out how to play one card after the flop.

I figured that out after seeing this turn fall and wondering what to do. I think I probably should have bet less on the turn if I wanted to play it out in a semi-standard way.

 

[bentax1978]

I'd say the only ways to play the hand are a) jam preflop or b) bet half your stack preflop and jam any flop.

You're probably getting a table full of folds and picking up the blinds but there could be that one guy who's calling with a broadway ace or any pair thinking you're being silly. Regardless, it's better than trying to figure out how to play one card after the flop.

I sort of alluded to my feelings earlier when I said I wouldn't have played the hand with one card exposed.

But as @Ronoh suggested, if you're going to do it, I think you need to jam preflop. Maybe you get lucky and get a call (where you'll obviously be ahead), or you just pick up a couple bucks when everyone folds. But the last thing I would ever want to do is play a hand, against deep stacks, exposed liked that. It just puts you at an insurmountable disadvantage IMO.

 

[Jimulacrum]

I'm in agreement with the sentiment to jam preflop. Shoving there was the only worthwhile play, IMO. Hope some genius has a big pair or AK and thinks you must just be bullshitting. Otherwise you may as well dump it.

If you play it like a normal hand, you're in a raised pot with deep stacks and half your hand exposed. If you improve, it's mega-obvious. If you don't improve, it's rare that you can have better than one pair, and everyone knows it. Your opportunities for value are very limited, and your opportunities for a loss are a chasm.

 

[courage]

Make joke on the turn, "guys, I have 2 pair" and bet $50.

 

[doakwolf]

Make joke on the turn, "guys, I have 2 pair" and bet $50.

This

 

[bergs]

I still jam the flop. If nothing else it's a helluva good story, and I think you get all draws and some worse pairs to snap

 

[jbutler]

So are we in agreement that there is really no good bet on the turn in this spot? Should I just check fold or hope it gets checked down?

 

[Jimulacrum]

Any Villain with a brain can narrow your range down to AA, a pair with an ace kicker, or unimproved ace-high. You literally cannot have anything else on this board, without even considering how he reads your play.

That's not to say you can never get any value out of someone in a hand like this, but it's a tiny upside and a huge downside. You can maybe get some value-checks against an opponent who tries to steal way too much, but I don't think it's worth the risk.

 

[jbutler]

Any Villain with a brain can narrow your range down to AA, a pair with an ace kicker, or unimproved ace-high. You literally cannot have anything else on this board, without even considering how he reads your play.

That's not to say you can never get any value out of someone in a hand like this, but it's a tiny upside and a huge downside. You can maybe get some value-checks against an opponent who tries to steal way too much, but I don't think it's worth the risk.

I think all that is pretty well established. So what would you do?

 

[Jimulacrum]

Check with the intention of folding to any reasonable bet.