When would you fold AA preflop

[pcgnome]

Only correct time: In a satellite where you have a stack that can fold into the $$ always.

Rest of time: Always get in AA!

You might consider folding if you were at a 9 -10 seat table where everybody else was all in preflop and you were in the big blinds, but that rarely ever happens.

 

[dimon4ik89]

AA you can make a pre-flop pass only in one case

AA you can make a pre-flop pass only in one case, if you've come AA in very often during the last time, then you should soon lose on this card. Again, it is not possible to calculate here when you need to make a pass for AA, only you can feel it. Personally, I never throw AA in the pre-flop pass, because what then to play if not on AA. KK can make a pre-flop pass if my opponent has A on his hands and I feel that A can open on the flop.

 

[SharkyJohn]

Wow,really interesting question!
I would be wondering folding AA preflop on the bubble with a pretty big stack,and a good chances to get to the final table. I would be afraid of 3+ all in players that could significantly reduce my stack

 

[well_cap1302]

AA pre flop is best possible hand, even with multiple all in players

 

[AceKing725]

Occasionally

Sklansky has described a situation where it is EV to fold aces preflop in a tourney. It's when you see several all-ins ahead of you, near the end of the tournament. By folding, you are guaranteed to move up in the standings, while playing and losing will knock you out in a lower spot. Essentially, you are playing to guarantee yourself (say) at least fifth place. I think I'd call and take my chances with AA, though, In that situation, if you DO win, you have a much better shot at placing much higher.

 

[AceKing725]

ICM?

I've folded aces pre-flop once (correctly) - it was definitely a +EV spot but maybe not in ICM-wise on a final table. I had two people before me all-in who both had pocket pairs (one got a set on the flop) - there are other factors to look at when folding aces preflop potentially but most of the time you shouldn't even be thinking of folding aces pre.

What does ICM-wise mean?

 

[babboonnexx]

uhhhh, never. but if i see a couple of pairs on the board i might be scared away by the possibility of trips pretty easy after the flop.

 

[damgold]

Unless it's a satellite this hand should never be folded preflop. No exceptions

I would only give up if I was playing on a satellite already among the classified and only one to fall to qualify

 

[discintildeath]

Laying down Aces

The only time to lay down aces for me is if I have enough information to make a decision that I am beat. Pre-flop 3 or 4 way you are still ahead and you know it so go for it!

 

[Vorem]

Only in the satellite, if I have a passing stack and when several players have gone All-in.
In regular tournaments - never!

 

[makisaa]

AA is the strongest pair you could have preflop and the strongest reason to go all in! All in is not an action I prefer, usually I just rise. If the previous AA you had, gave you a disaster beat then there is the first reason to fold. Or if you notice a sequence of repeated wins and loses then if you think it is the lose time it is another reason to fold!

 

[Haymore277]

That's when my stack ain't bigger than a player all in.

 

[lulu pk]

Only if it's a sat for a big MTT ticket and we are on the bubble.If I do have a good stack with whom I will certainly win the ticket, I will not risk.

 

[Vodnik2017]

Only in the satellite, if I have a passing stack and when several players have gone All-in.
and on the bubble, if the risk does not make sense

 

[cgcook38]

There are two ways I look at folding aces in tournament setting:

1) you’re in the BB early in the tourney w 22 and you have 60BB. It folds to the SB and they go all-in, accidentally exposing their AKo. You know you’re a 50+% to win the hand. Do you call off all your chips this early on a coin flip? If not, why would you do it with Aces after 5-6 players go all in? if you would, then yes. Take your coinflips where you can.

2) I feel the same way about 60% hands early. Tournaments skew my vision on +EV moves. It takes hours of work to finish at the top of the leaderboard. In order to get there you OFTEN have to choose to lay down hands where you know you will see a better spot later. That is ALMOST NEVER with Aces preflop. If I’ve worked to get a stack where I can choose spots to pick up chips as an 80-85% favorite post flop, or with a lock on the river, then I want to protect that stack from iffy situations. Certainly playing for my tourney life vs 5 players w Aces preflop is iffy. I would never, ever criticize someone for going All in with Aces pre. I just think there is room for thought on it for sure. It is not a slam dunk in a tournament structure.

Cash game I would leave my wife if she folded Aces preflop ever ;-)

 

[PuMa8818]

If suddenly this happens:
I'm on BB with AA. from the early position of bet, button call, I'm 3bet, I'm all in, the button is all in and I'm very happy to call ... Suddenly Justin Bonomo appears before me and says: "Do not do this!" Then in this case ... Although no, all the same I will not throw))

 

[fingers182005]

i never fold it but i do always raise and re raise till im all in with a player or 2

 

[NBB]

Can only think of a couple of occasions;
1] if someone is holding a loaded gun to my head.
2] if my casket was being lowered into the earth, but not certain on this one!

But seriously, only on extremely rare occasions, such as if it was a bubble situation and I was the one at risk or if more than a couple of players are also in the preflop shove.

 

[Mepper95]

I would probably fold AA on the bubble of a big tournament I got a cheap satellite for. Say you are just playing microstakes casually and end up winning a Platinum Pass to play the 25K tournament in the Bahamas next January. I would lay down aces on that bubble for sure. The min-cash would be so relevant for my BR!

 

[lqprimetime]

I do lose a lot pre flop AA KK QQ JJ to garbage and it seems like it loses more times than it wins, but the excuse that has been made since online poker began, is that you just see more hands, so you notice the bad beats more. And this is probably right, or it could be the player's(myself) fault for not playing the hand right, and putting myself in a spot where i WILL only get called by someone that will beat me.

Having said that, i think I saw once on a wsop event, either player or one of the broadcasters hypothetically asking, the same thing, when like a lot of people are all in.

Or maybe i just made this up in my head, but i always think about having AA and 3-4+ people go all in, just getting out of the way and not be greedy, let them kill themselves off. And not to risk a made pair for who knows what draws and trips will come.
However, I still can't recall bringing myself to do this with AA, or maybe even KK.

But we all know the freerolls where everyone goes all in on the first hand. I have almost adopted a rule not to play the first preflop kamikaze hands in freerolls against 4 people.
And in turn sometimes I'm a hypocritical idiot and will go all in, like if im going to dedicate 3 hours for change, I'm starting with a head start or not at all.

 

[Don Chonch]

Fold AA pre?

Never...right? Just a casual player but I cannot fathom a scenario I would play down rockets. Not to get past the money bubble or anything.

 

[Shrops]

Hello

The only time I ever fold AA's pre-flop is on the bubble in tournaments where everyone who makes the bubble wins the same amount.

 

[lqprimetime]

The only time I ever fold AA's pre-flop is on the bubble in tournaments where everyone who makes the bubble wins the same amount.

Yeah, i said I always think about the first hand of a tournament and like 5 people are all in, but i dunno if i have or could go through with it.
But this is a scenario too i didn't think of that I am sure i actually did do it, especially if there are like 1 or 2 people with stacks small enough for 1 more blind.

However, my original hypothetical, i think if the tournament was important to me, like maybe it was a larger buy in than i normally do, or had a real potential to easily cash out. I probably would lay down AA still if 4 people were all in. But then again, if it is a tournament I valued that highly, people would probably never be 4 way all in. That is like freeroll stuff.

 

[icandonkyou]

Im not folding AA ever preflop.

 

[Dsqtq]

I will drop it 1 of 1000000 hands