Limping with AA in NL and in tornies

[Talking Poker]

That's not it... It's not that I can't lay it down, because I can. That just falls into the "losing with it" category. All I'm saying is that it frustrates me, and that can't be good for my game (at that very momemt).

Let me give you two non-extreme scenarios and try to illustrate my mental health after each of them:

1. I get AA, raise, get one caller, make a CB at the flop and he folds. I won some chips, and I'm feeling good. I just had AA. Things are going my way.

2. I get AA, limp, 3 others follow. The board seems harmless enough, but I run into major resistance when I lead at the pot (usually a big raise on the turn) and now have myself in a tough spot. I ended up folding or maybe losing a pretty big pot to some goofy two pair, like J8. Now I'm mad at myself for not just raising preflop and taking down a small pot there.

I understand that there are many other scenarios, including ones where I limp in and take down a big pot and certainly ones where I raise preflop and lose anyway... I just prefer to "play it right" - that way, even if I lose, I'm not second guessing myself and mad at myself for getting cute.

Does that make sense?

I definitely think people SHOULD limp in with AA from EP 10-20% of the time.... I just have trouble doing that myself.

[badblood44]

I understand now. Basically you're saying that if you lose w/AA because you limped instead of raised, that would upset you. I agree with that sentiment for sure.

[Talking Poker]

Yes... AND I feel that that may have more of a negative effect on my game than if I always raise with AA and miss out on winning a few big pots here and there by playing it slowly.

[SirFWALGMan]

I hardly ever limp with AA because of two things. A) The weak ass people I play with sometimes never raise. B) It gets really hard to put someone on any kind of hand. 26o could have caught his two pair.

I think it is the same mentality I have with sets. If you can get away from the hand when it turns bad, then why not slow play it or limp? If I hit a set on a board, even a scary one, I usually let the other guy bet out and see how much I can take.. If the flush or obvious straight comes I need to be able to fold or else it is stupid to slow play it.

I notice I do this alot too. I have AA. I raise pre-flop, and the flop is all undercards. I then get the urge to go all in or bet alot or call an all in bet. Alot of the time you end up getting beat by a lucky set of 3's or some crap like that. Laying down AA or any TPTK is hard. But I think the better players (better than me at least) can do it in a hurry. When I am REALLY on my game I can let go of these hands with out any problem, when I am giving it away I cling onto these way too far.

[oketz7777]

if you limp in and get no raisers then what on the flop your in trouble because unless you hit a third ace youll never be quite sure that your the best on the table