Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 5
I see people get themselves into this spot or something similar all the time. While I can't necessary fault you for 3 betting with such a hand preflop, I'm going to fault you for it.
When you're 3 betting from the blinds you have to be very particular about the spots you do it in. In this hand for example, you're doing it against two players who are most likely going to call your raise. That means that for the rest of the hand you're going to be out of position. How much does that suck being out of position in a bloated pot multiway? A lot, to say the least.
There are many factors to take into consideration when deciding preflop to 3 bet with aces. First, what's the chances of me getting my stack or their stacks in pre? If you're playing a real loosey player or two who would rather just get it in or simply has a low SPR then I say fine, 3 bet all day long. If, however, you have two tricky players and you're all fairly deep stacked and you're almost certain they'll both flat call your raise, maybe you should consider not reraising? These are just two general scenarios of numerous possible scenarios.
Another thing 3 betting in a position like this typically announces is "Hey, I have aces". This isn't only bad because it exposes half of your hand but also allows people to steal pots left and right from you that miss that AAxx range.
Let me try to recall one hand from live play that I recently had. It was a $1/$2 with a $5 bring in live game in Vegas, full table (9 players) I was sitting deep, $2+, as was my main opponent in this hand. I'm in the SB and UTG made it $15, mid pos called and it was back to me. I pick up AAxx, don't honestly remember the xx, and I think one suit. What are my options?
Well, at low stakes live weekend nights this game plays if they raised pre they aren't folding to a simple reraise. That pretty much holds true for the cold caller too since he'll be closing the action and have both odds now and position the rest of the hand. So I could make it $65 knowing they're both calling putting myself in a deep stacked pot out of position against two players or I could call and not commit myself to anything and also not play my hand face up. As you guessed already I'm sure, I decided to call.
Flop comes down A84 rainbow.
Couldn't be a more perfect flop for me. I check, original raiser bets out too small, other player pots it for $1xx. I tank. I tank not because I don't know what to do but I really believe I did a good job of selling that I was thinking about what to do. No speeches, no sighs, just calculating then I finally potted it. Original raiser folded as I knew he would. And the original raiser calls.
Turn comes offsuit J.
Couldn't script a better runout for me. Again I tank and I believe I have sold that I have something along the lines of 567x. Once again I finally pot it, the other player moves all in. I snap it off of course. The guy has A8, he flopped top two and was drawing dead. This is a player that while he does see a lot of flops never put his money in light post flop. He never imagined I could have AA.
One hand with a perfect flop, runout, and opponent having a hand certainly don't make my argument a winner but from now on no matter how you play your aces from the blinds (or UTG straddle) image if you had played them the opposite way, how different the pot would have been, and if you would have liked how it played out better this way or that way.
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