Two different ways of playing pocket Ace’s

When you have a pair in your two hold cards it is called a “pocket pair” you have a pair in your pocket. Pocket Ace’s is the best possible hand you can be dealt. You should be dealt pocket Ace’s about once out of every 200 hands (.045% of the time to be exact).

When I get pocket Ace’s I play them aggressively about 95% of the time and I limp in about 5% of the time. So what I am saying is I will get pocket Ace’s about 100 times in 2,000 hands, 95 times I will play aggressively and 5 times I will limp in. When I say limp in what I mean is I will just call the current bet rather then make a raise. When I say play aggressively I will make a substantial raise. Below are two examples of this.

The first one is where I played my pocket Ace’s aggressively.

PokerStars Game #19709656064: Hold'em No Limit ($0.50/$1.00) - 2008/08/18 - 11:13:45 (ET) Table 'Toutatis IV' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 3: TTRodrigues ($97.50 in chips)
Seat 4: MartinK1979 ($30.30 in chips)
Seat 5: Sanogo18 ($111.85 in chips)
Seat 6: Masterfrank ($106.05 in chips)
Seat 7: Keev2K ($143.90 in chips)
Seat 8: TwoSmeets ($112.10 in chips)
Seat 9: DUG ($148.70 in chips)
TTRodrigues: posts small blind $0.50
MartinK1979: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DUG [Ac As]
Sanogo18: folds
Masterfrank: folds
Keev2K: raises $3 to $4 Might have AK, AQ, AJ, KK, QQ, JJ or even TT
TwoSmeets: folds
DUG: raises $9 to $13 Want to play aggressively so I make a huge bet more then 3 times his original bet. I do this since I am on the button and he might think I am making a steal and I will have great position after the flop, last to act.
TTRodrigues: folds
MartinK1979: folds
Keev2K: calls $9 Since he called he must have AK, KK, QQ, or JJ maybe TT
*** FLOP *** [8d 4d Js] The Jack on the flop is a little scary. So I need to see where I stand
Keev2K: checks This check could be he has JJ and he is trapping me.
DUG: bets $34 So I continue with my aggressive play.
Keev2K: calls $34 This says he does not have a JJ with three J’s or AJ he would raise to chase out a flush draw. So he most likely has KK or QQ, he would fold TT, AK, AQ.
*** TURN *** [8d 4d Js] [2c]
Keev2K: bets $41 This is perfect now he is committed he must have QQ or KK and he wants me to fold.
DUG: raises $60.70 to $101.70 and is all-in I know he will call it is only $55 more for him into a pot of about $200
Keev2K: calls $55.90 and is all-in
Uncalled bet ($4.80) returned to DUG
*** RIVER *** [8d 4d Js 2c] [4h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Keev2K: shows [Kh Kd] (two pair, Kings and Fours) Perfect hand for my aggressive play
DUG: shows [Ac As] (two pair, Aces and Fours)
DUG collected $286.30 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $289.30 Rake $3
Board [8d 4d Js 2c 4h]
Seat 3: TTRodrigues (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: MartinK1979 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: Sanogo18 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Masterfrank folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Keev2K showed [Kh Kd] and lost with two pair, Kings and Fours
Seat 8: TwoSmeets folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: DUG (button) showed [Ac As] and won ($286.30) with two pair, Aces and Fours


Second hand where I limped in

PokerStars Game #19709354370: Hold'em No Limit ($0.50/$1.00) - 2008/08/18 - 10:54:55 (ET) Table 'Peraga' 9-max
Seat #1 is the button Seat 1: MRBIG5670 ($67.40 in chips)
Seat 2: Apex-X ($99 in chips)
Seat 3: canariaman ($103.50 in chips)
Seat 4: Callonm3 ($97.50 in chips)
Seat 5: DUG ($124.40 in chips)
Seat 6: BJ-27 ($82.95 in chips)
Seat 7: Am0k07 ($34.10 in chips)
Seat 8: Digger83 ($18.50 in chips)
Seat 9: denleonard ($97.50 in chips)
Apex-X: posts small blind $0.50
canariaman: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to DUG [Ah As]
Callonm3: folds
DUG: calls $1 Since I am first to act good hand to limp in, if I get raised I can switch to aggressive play.
BJ-27: folds
Am0k07: folds
Digger83: folds
denleonard: calls $1
MRBIG5670: folds
Apex-X: calls $0.50
canariaman: checks
*** FLOP *** [Ad 7s 2s] Nice flop for me I now have three Ace’s but I have to worry about a flush with 3 people in. Also you can see if I would have played aggressively here I would have only won the blinds.
Apex-X: checks
canariaman: checks
DUG: bets $2
denleonard: calls $2 Must be on a draw.
Apex-X: folds
canariaman: folds
*** TURN *** [Ad 7s 2s] [2d] Now I have a full house best hand unless he has pocket 2’s
DUG: bets $2 I make a wimpy bet.
denleonard: raises $5 to $7 He is just trying to steal since I made a wimpy bet.
DUG: raises $5 to $12 I raise a little to build the pot and give him the right odds to call if he is on a flush draw (has 4 spades to a flush)
denleonard: calls $5
*** RIVER *** [Ad 7s 2s 2d] [Ts] Great a spade hit.
DUG: checks
denleonard: bets $21 He must have hit his flush.
DUG said, "2??" I make him think I am afraid he has a 2, so he will think I have Ace X with X being any other card.
DUG: raises $22 to $43 I raised a small amount I think he will call, maybe even raise me.
denleonard: calls $22 Perfect, maybe I could have raised more.
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DUG: shows [Ah As] (a full house, Aces full of Deuces)
Am0k07 said, "i have 2"
denleonard: shows [Js 9s] (a flush, Jack high)
DUG collected $115 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $118 Rake $3
Board [Ad 7s 2s 2d Ts]
Seat 1: MRBIG5670 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Apex-X (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: canariaman (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 4: Callonm3 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: DUG showed [Ah As] and won ($115) with a full house, Aces full of Deuces Seat 6: BJ-27 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Am0k07 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Digger83 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: denleonard showed [Js 9s] and lost with a flush, Jack high

These two hands will let me live in Botswana for about another 160 weeks.

P.S. This picture is me rafting down the Nile on my visit to Uganda