[12AX7]

Well,
I'm very interested in what your partner *has* found that works. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

That being said..

I've run some analysis using this player profile:

Will play all pairs, any ace, any king, any suited connector.

Ok, not a great model, but best I can do with the software I have at hand.

I ran matchups on all hands from heads up to 7 handed.

AA had the highest EV for any number of opponents. And the EV went *up* as number of opponents increased.

But, here's the rub that explains your subjective observation...

As number of opponents increases, so does the odds of losing.

Here's the numbers:


Opps..EV...Odds Against
1.....0.72......0.16:1
2.....1.22......0.35:1
3.....1.56......0.56:1
4.....1.80......0.78:1
5.....1.80......1.08:1
6.....1.80......1.50:1

(Sorry 'bout the periods, only thing I could think of to keep the columns straight.)

So typically you're going to get cracked about half the time, just as a guesstimate.

But, since the EV stays relatively level from 6 down to 4 players... there's some value in trying to limit the field with a raise since the EV is the same, but the pot is bigger *and* you win more often.

Then again, you could argue that raising out even more players is beneficial because though the EV is larger, the pot is bigger. 1.56 against dead money and few players might be advantageous, right? While also winning more often. So seems with PP's, limiting the field has the effect of reducing variance. A good thing in my book.

Though I haven't worked the numbers out, it would seem that if the odds of winning rise quickly enough, or the EV drops slowly enough, you may actually win more money, though the EV is less, because the pots are bigger. (Again, with hopefully reduced variance.)

However, if you didn't manage to reduce the field, you're still on mathematically favorable ground, right? And from the other direction, if occasionally you do let a donk in when you get AA UTG, and get cracked, you're still likely on good ground long term, I'd tend to think.

Anyway, just what my impromptu analysis shows. Not certain if my conclusions represent fuzzy thinking or not.

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Pocket Aces are not worth much against 6 players. Following SSH guidelines you will only get a playable hand fairly rarely.

As a side note, my ex business partner has been playing professionally for about 5 years and has built a 6 figure BR--not bad. When I was starting out and told him that I was reading this or that book and that I was going to crush the low limit games, he patiently (as if I were a 2 year old) explained that "the book doesn't work in those games"

Just my .02

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