Quote:
Originally Posted by onlyproud
[H has ~500 stack]
A few limpers, middle position guy raised to 50, all folded to me...
Welcome to the forum!
Some thoughts on why 3b here is better than calling.
An important concept in NL is the ratio of the pot to the effective stack size -- known as the stack to pot ratio or SPR.
Higher SPRs (for example, more than 10) benefit drawing hands such as suited connectors or pocket pairs. A high SPR means there's lots of money to put in after the flop, allowing drawing hands to put in a small amount when they're behind (preflop) and win a lot when they flop big.
Smaller SPRs (e.g. less than 6) benefit hands like AA or KK that are likely ahead preflop, but are not likely to get much better. Hands like AA do very well when lots of money goes in preflop, but less well when lots of money goes in post flop.
So the answer is simple. If you have AA, get lots of money in preflop!
With AA (and other big pair hands), the more money that goes in preflop, the better they do. Ideally, you'd like to get all the money in preflop, since you're roughly a 4:1 favorite over any other hand (except another AA).
Shoving all-in here would have been OK. Not necessarily ideal, but at least OK. You make everyone else either give up all their equity in the pot or put in even more money while way behind.
Calling means that opponents still get to see a flop and perhaps outdraw you.
If you're feeling nervous, shove rather than call. Calling lets them have the best chance to beat you. Shoving forces them to make a decision.