Pocket Ace's

(are just another pair)

First, I learned to play in Las Vegas , so I tend to be rather tight and adhere to a rather strict set of starting standards. I watched and helped as the solid locals picked the pockets of the tourists. This is an observation I made during my forays into the no-foldem world of California Low Limit Hold'em games. Like everyone else in Vegas I had heard the stories of the free money in California for any solid player. When my chance came, I confidently bought my chips and contemplated the game as I waited for a hand. I got killed. These guys were crazy. They would call and raise with anything. Sometimes the game even made the play money games here look tight. It was nothing to sit at a 2-4 Hold'em game with over $2000 dollars in chips around the table. Every player in the 3-6 game would have 2 or 3 racks in front of them and the total chips often topped $5000. I found that you needed them. That next day I set up poker simulations on the computers at the office and ran a several million hands during the next week. I discovered my mistake and then my visits became quite profitable. These games could be beat but not with the strategy that worked in Vegas. Armed with my modified strategy, I made many profitable trips to the California card rooms. During the trips I saw the following drama unfold often.

When you walked into the card room you could recognize the poor guy immediately. He would be seated in the 2 or 8 seat with the remnants of a $60 buy-in in front of him, while the rest of the players had racks in front of them. His hair would be blown back like an old stereo commercial and he had a dazed look on his face, like someone had just whacked his peewee with a hammer. He was sitting in the middle of all this money, couldn't win any of it, and didn't know why. He had heard the rumors of gold in those hills, built up a bankroll and now was watching as it dwindled $60 at a pop. He knew that he was playing solid poker, only top hands. He was getting killed. His AA, AK, and KK never held up. He was having the worst luck of his life. He was confused. He had fallen into the no-foldem trap and if he didn't modify his play, he would be back in Vegas hustling the tourists by the weekend.

This was the situation. He would sit there in a very disciplined fashion, folding marginal hands, and watching as the pots were won with wildest combinations of hold cards. It seemed that anything played here (it did).

Finally he draws AA and confidently raises.
The guy to act next says, "He's got pocket Aces, I raise."
The next says, "I've been waiting for this I raise."
The next two bettors cap it.
Some little old lady at the end says, "This is going to be a big pot. I call."

Everyone around the table calls.
As it gets to the Vegas pro he pushes in the chips to call the capped round. Everyone is in.

For simplicity in a 2-4 game, there are 10 players and $78 in the pot.

The dealer burns and lays out the flop. If there is no Ace, the Vegas rock is in deep river already.

Every flush draw or straight draw is out there and probably at least one 2-pair and maybe trips .

He bravely pushes out a bet, "to protect his hand."

The pot odds are now 39:1. The odds of making an inside straight on the turn are about 10:1 or all the way to the river 11:2 . If he is lucky, the next bettor has 2-pair and raises, and only 3 callers stay, but if he raises expect it to be capped again and all draws will stay . Otherwise he will have 5 or 6 callers when the dealer burns and turns.

Now the pot is $90 to $110.
If the turn isn't an Ace or even if it is and no pair on board, the pro sheepishly pushes out a 4-chip bet, in desperation.

The pot odds are now at least 22:1. Odds to fill inside straight are 10:1

Everyone calls everything.
The dealer burns and puts out 6 on the river.
The little old lady turns over 84 off suit with a little straight and drowns the pro.
She calls for another rack to stack the pot while the "pro" watches his buy-in shrink, and vows to play it better next time.

I saw this drama repeated often. Sometimes AA just isn't the starting hand. Ax suited plays much better when you can get into the pot cheaply. If the flop doesn't hit, you can muck it with no regret. Often I would play with these guys back in Vegas and listen to the bad beat story and how poorly the little old lady had played with 84 off suit, when she had played the pot odds to perfection. I would also play next to the little old lady in Vegas where she would be repeatedly ganged raped. Your play must match the game.

Closing: "If there wasn't a river, there wouldn't be any fish"
Post script: "There be sharks in that there river."

jbharshaw

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