[xVICTORx]

To answer Bad Lobster's question about how I would play the hand out of position with AA:

I know that a person in position can make a raise with anything, so, I will make my reraise high: not two times more, but 3-3.5, or even 4 times more (eg. if we are playing $1/$2 NL, and the button raised to 8, then I would reraise to 30 or more) By this, you are making it extremely expensive for them to play a marginal hand even in position, and the hand that will call this reraise will be either any pocket pair, AX where x is high, or two suited or unsuited face cards. If the button calls your bet, on the flop you can make a half pot bet to get more info about your opponents hand. Your reraise pre-flop was very high and should've only invited made hands like high pocket pairs. See, if I raised with 72off on the button and got reraised extremely high by the SB, then it would be a clear fold for me. But if I was holding AQ or AK, or a high pocket pair, then I would probably call. And these are the hands that you want to play against when you are holding AA. You are a HUGE favorite in these situations and it will be easy money most of the time. You don't want to raise just a little and let me see the flop and then make an all-in bet at me when you are behind (because you did not get enough info from your bets) and loose your stack to a very poor hand. I make money on players that make mistakes and I try not to make mistakes so that I don't loose alot.

Now, lets get back to the AA against 4 opponents scenario. I know that AA is the best hand and I know what statistics say: AA holds better than any other hand out there. But, AA is the best hand to hold when you are against 1 or 2 opponents who hold AK and KK, or any other pocket pair. However, the more opponents the lesser your chance of winning, and therefore, you are risking your current stack.

Now, the way I play is that I play lots of hands from late position (any connected cards, any connected suited cards, pocket pairs, Ax, 2 face cards and so forth). I play at short handed tables and I always raise when I enter the pot. I don't check to see if anyone made a hand, I bet to see if anyone has something. When I bet, I make probe bets that are usually around half the pot. For example, I raised from late position 4 times BB, then follow up with a bet of 6 times BB (at $1/$2 I'll raise to 8, and then will bet 12 on the flop). Most of the time I will pickup the pot right there. Sometimes, I'll get reraised and will fold. Sometimes, I'll get called, but that will not stop me - I will bet 1/3 -1/2 pot bet on the turn and will pickup the pot right there. Sometimes, I'll make a straight or a flush, or a boat, or another very strong hand, and will make higher bets or an all-in bets which are usually called, because my opponents are getting frustrated because I pickup lots of pots, but those are huge errors on their part. And this is how I make money at the tables. I used to find myself losing focus sometimes when I saw AA and bet and get reraised, and then I reraised, and get reraised again, and then I'd loose my stack to a set. This is why I hate this freaking hand. So, today, if I hold AA and two or 3 opponents saw the flop, I'll make my bet regardless of the flop, but if the action starts to heat up, I'll throw them away.

I don't like to see variance in my bankroll. I figured out how to make money slowly, but surely and I like to keep it this way, and that is why I would not put all my money in the pot with AA against 4 opponents, whose holdings are probably strong too.