Living it Loving it

Would you ever fold pocker aces pre-flop?

For those who say no, assuming you won the trip to Vegas next year, and when there decide to fufill a dream and play in a WSOP event.  2,500 players and after a day and a half of sweat you're on the bubble with 251 players left, with the top 250 players paid.  You post the big blind, (blinds are 1,000/2,000) and that leaves you with only 1,000 left, just enough for the small blind next hand. 

By the time the action gets round to you 4 other players have pushed all-in, and you look down at your cards to see AA.  What do you do, and why?

without a  doubt i would fold with 4 other players all in one of them is def going to be out,and AA never wins for me any way, so i would just sit back and wait for my money ha.

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The Duchess

Definate fold in these circumstances.  You'd be crazy to call. 

Here is a slight variation:

You win a trip to Vegas in 2010 though Poker in the Pub, and decide to play in a WSOP No Limit Holdem event with a £2,500 buy-in.  You've always dreamed of playing in the WSOP and thought you'd take the opportunity when you won the trip of a lifetime.

You sit down at the table, and kapow - first hand you are dealt pocket aces.  Before the action gets round to you, a player goes all-in and is called by two other players.  The question now is do you call or do you fold?

 

I would still fold, you cannot win a tournament in the first hand......... but you can definitely lose it!

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g0lf3rm4rk on Paddy Power

I'd call.  Pocket aces against 3 other hands wins over 50% of the time, and if they hold then you quadruple your chips first hand, giving you a great start and a chance of really bossing the table.

If you get busted, then I'd prefer to say I got knocked out with aces than say I had a good time but folded AA first hand preflop and ask myself what might have been if I'd called and they held up.

 

First scenario....think it's a pretty clear fold. AA vs 4 opps is just over 50% to win - basically a coin flip - and breaking the bubble is too big a prize to gamble with. Plus with such a small stack even a quadruple up isn't going to improve your chances in the tourney enough to warrant it.

Second one is trickier....vs 3 opps you are bout 64%. Like said you can't win on first hand but you can lose it - WSOP is a massively slow structure and you could guarantee better spots to get all the money in. Plus a 4 x starting stack is still WAY below what you would need to cash so it would only improve your chances in the relative short-term.

Think some of the decision would come down to your style. If you need a big stack early to play your usual game it's a great opportunity. If you play more smallball and can build a stack over time - perhaps it's a tough fold.

However, I think nearly every top pro would happily take a 60%+ shot at any stage of tourney.