[SeattleSooner]

I want an opinion on how I played this hand. This was the biggest fold I've ever made, and it made me almost physically sick to lay these cards down. I want to know if anyone else would have played it different.

It's the second hand of a 30 person tournament. Everyone still has close to the starting $5000 in chips. The blinds are 50/100 and I'm in middle position. I play in this league often enough to know that the tables are pretty loose/passive early on. UTG calls (he's a classic loose/passive player), it's folded around to me and look down at:

At an aggressive table I might be tempted to slow play, but in this situation I think a call might let 2 or 3 extra people in the pot, and that's not what I want. I make it $300 to go. It's folded around to the big blind (he's what I would call a hyper aggressive player, but plays that style very solid). He calls my raise and the limper calls. Flop comes down:

Trip Aces! They both check to me, and I'm 100% sure I have the best hand at this point. The pot is at $950, and I want a little action so I bet $500. Both players call. This surprises me. The only thing I can put the big blind on is a straight draw. I think he must have 3-6 or 3-5, probably suited ( ). Those are the kind of hands he likes to play from the big blind. UTG I figure has A-3 or A-5, and thinks that top pair plus the straight draw is good. The turn comes down:

Big blind checks, UTG bets $500. I make it $2000. The big blind comes over the top all-in and UTG calls. At this point I figure I'm up against at least a made straight and a flush draw. I really consider calling, but I don't think they are both drawing. I still have half my stack left, so I fold. UTG flips over:

and BB flips over:

I inform UTG that he drawing to 2 outs as I mucked the other two Aces. I had to pull them out of the muck before they believed me. The river comes down:

So had I called I would have made the full boat, but I still think my decision to fold was good. I counted 10 outs for myself (3 6's, 3 4's, 3 2's, and the Ace), which would've have made the pot odds close. But in reality 2 of my outs were already gone.

What I really wonder is should I have raised bigger pre-flop? That definitely would have driven out the 3-5. Should I have made a pot sized bet on the flop? That might have made it too expensive for the 3-5 to draw to his straight. Should I have worried when that 6 came on the turn and simply smooth called the bet? Then fold if they both go all in behind me? What do you think?

[FreckleDaddy]

If I had opened the pot I would have made it 300, but if there's limpers I raise more depending on how many have limped. I probably would have made it 400 or 500 hundred here, but 300 is still reasonable since there was only one limper. Nice laydown.

Fd

[jojobinks]

nice fold. i wouldn't make it, but that's b/c i suck on the later streets.

as a matter of course, i bet more on the flop. a 1/2 pot raise against 2 opponents looks weird to me.... if i'm interested in keeping AT in the hand, and getting the gutshot (or pair and a gutshot) to laydown, i feel like a 3/4- 100% pot bet is in order there.

[krw17]

Nice laydown, you couldn't have counted on that last 6 coming. At least you got to see the cards, so you know you made the correct play (statistically that is). Like the other day when I had to lay down my full house, the villian was kind enough to show his quads instead of just mucking them. Still lost a good bit of money on that hand, but I was glad I got out when I did.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Nice laydown. It's tough to do, but I've found the sooner you learn AA isn't invincible, the better off you are!

I would have made the "standard" raise to 400 here to account for the limper, but 300 is fine especially with AA. Like we're talking about in another thread, you want some action with AA, especially in these early levels. It's the only time you can go in knowing 100% for certain you're in the lead.

Without knowing the guy, it's hard to say whether the raise to 400 would make enough of a difference to chase the BB. It sounds like it wouldn't have unless you went way high on a raise. I'm a pretty tight player and even I probably would have been tempted to peel off a flop here, especially if I had won a few pots earlier. If it hits, the little suited connector is well disguised and if it misses, it's easy to release.

Too bad you couldn't chase him though, you probably would have made a bunch off of the A4.

[GabeManis]

Originally Posted by SeattleSooner

I want an opinion on how I played this hand. This was the biggest fold I've ever made, and it made me almost physically sick to lay these cards down. I want to know if anyone else would have played it different.

A pot sized raise pre-flop from late positon is not exactly screaming AA, or "my hand is ok." Is this a "standard raise" for the game? If it is, then you needed to raise bigger. Make people pay to see the cards. A big pre-flop bet would probably have gotten (who knows though) both of the two players out.
...

What I really wonder is should I have raised bigger pre-flop? That definitely would have driven out the 3-5. Should I have made a pot sized bet on the flop? That might have made it too expensive for the 3-5 to draw to his straight. Should I have worried when that 6 came on the turn and simply smooth called the bet? Then fold if they both go all in behind me? What do you think?

Your question about making a pot-sized bet on the flop to not allow the 3-5 to draw doesn't make sense. He has a straight already. Unless of course you are putting him on any 3 or any 6... which if that is the case for your game, you need to raise more pre-flop. I don't know what you would consider a big raise, but any raise that lets someone with 3-5 stay around is NOT a big raise.

Seems like you were playing a little passive throughout the hand also. Your bets shouldn't just be made for information sake, they need to put pressure on people. It's that simple.