5CD - Keeping a kicker with AA ?

[forhasta]

OK. Fixed limit: Raise UTG or EP with AAKxx. You get a call from SB and one the BB. SB and BB takes 3. Now, do you keep the K kicker?

Reasoning: You may have been called by someone also holding AA and if they don't improve you will have the higher kicker.

Against: You are less likely to make trips/2 pair, given that they may also have called with KK?

Is this only worth it if you *know* that the blinds are tight to only call with AA.

Thoughts?

[Murakawa]

no, you do not keep the kicker

you'll never know if someone has exactly AA

they probably won't, and you'll want to improve if you can.


also if you both have AA you can outplay the blinds.

[flafishy]

I can't think of a reason to ever keep a kicker with AA.

[stripsqueez]

[ QUOTE ]
I can't think of a reason to ever keep a kicker with AA.

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how about if you raise from the cutoff and the tight SB 3 bets and draws 3 ?

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[flafishy]

3-betting from the SB with a pair, I'd reconsider my read on him as tight and then draw 3.

[stripsqueez]

i figure its reasonably uncontroversial to open raise from the cutoff with say 1010+ - you might play a bit weaker or tighter or wait for 1010AKQ and a complient big blind

if thats right then i'm thinking that throwing away AA in the SB is a mistake and as usual the compromise option is poor

drawing 2 to any pair is weak but i think this is one of the infrequent exceptions - i would routinely draw 3 on the posted hand

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[flafishy]

I consider myself a particularly tight player as far as starting hands go. But assuming a full six-handed table, if I've seen you raising from the CO with TT or JJ, I'm coming at you with KK or AA, possible even QQ.

The point being that I don't think you should assume he has AA -- chances are he doesn't. In any event, I think you'd be better off reevaluating your starting-hand standards than worrying about this rare situation.

[Big Limpin]

forhasta,
as a general rule, you're much better off drawing 3. you are already ahead of him. HE has to draw to beat you, so your interests lie in giving yourself the best hope of beating his improved hand. If you both miss, you will win.

Even in draw, its still a freak for AA vs AA. believe me he has a smaller face pair most of the time. (like 90%+)

The situation stripsqueez mentions is just to show that you cant say NEVER, sometimes you can discern such a tight range for him that it would make sense to keep AA-K, but that's by far the exception.

[stripsqueez]

[ QUOTE ]
3 betting from the SB with 1 pair - i would reconsider my read on him as tight

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
I consider myself a particularly tight player as far as starting hands go

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
if I've seen you raising from the CO with TT or JJ, I'm coming at you with KK or AA, possible even QQ

[/ QUOTE ]

presumably the answer to this conundrun is that open raising 1010 from the cutoff is an offence - but the point is if my range was a bit tighter then you might be the sort of guy who only 3 bets stingers from the SB

if you dont find the position suggested by the initial post once in a while i dont think your looking hard enough

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[forhasta]

thanks for the replies. i was testing the waters really to see if there would be any merit to keeping that kicker under any cirumstances. cheers