Message Board : Ed: Avoiding getting stacked with AA in EP

Ed: I am having a hard time getting away from AA in EP vs. sets. They can play the set fast or slow, but at the end, I am getting stacked off.

OK, this is theoretical. At a new table vs. unknown opponents. All stacks 100 BB

 Scenario 1:

I am UTG with AA.  I make it 4xBB to go. MP Calls, Button calls.

13.5 BB in Pot

Flop is Q73 rainbow. Nice flop, but big pot.

I bet 10BB. MP Folds, button raises to 30. Is this bet size too big? Anything smaller looks weak, and I want to either take this down now, or get heads up.

Choices: 1. Call - He could be bluffing, have AQ, QQ, 77, TT, JJ, or 33. If I check the turn and he fires do I dump it?

2. if I re-raise, at this point, i am pushing in here. If it’s a set, I’m stacked, drawing to 2 outs

3. Fold - pretty weak.

In ths situation, how do I not get stacked while still having a difinitive answer on whether I am beaten?

Scenario 2:

Same hand:

I bet 10 BB, MP folds, Button calls. The same thing happens here - the call tells me nothing. If I bet the turn and he raises, then what? If I check and he bets, what then?

Just push after the Flop.

Or make a 3xPot bet, which comes close to pushing, but isn’t quite.
Anyone calling MUST HAVE a made hand (I would so fold AQ and KQ an QJ to that bet).

With 13.5BBs in pot, When it’s checked to me, I bet 30BB and get reraised, I let my Aces go.

*weeps*

At the 100BB level, it really doesn’t make all that much difference in the end whether you stack off or not unless your game relies only on making excellent decisions in shown down pots.  In which case, learn to steal more.  It will make your life a lot easier.

You have decent equity against 2 pair, you will suck out once in a while, people will raise you with AQ, people will bluff, all sorts of things.  Until you get to the point where a flop raise is a set and a set only, you really aren’t going to suffer that much over time.  By the time the villain moves in, there is a lot of dead money in the pot.  That gives you a bit of latitude.

…snip…

I bet 10 BB, MP folds, Button calls. The same thing happens here - the
call tells me nothing. If I bet the turn and he raises, then what?

…snip… 

Move in.  Too much dead money to give up on the hand.

…snip…

If I
check and he bets, what then?

…snip…

Definitely move in.  You’ve underrepresented your hand.  You will be getting the best of it in a large pot more often then not.