Quickest Way To Fix Your Game
I’ve been thinking a bit about trying to fix leaks in a bankroll. I’ve been playing excellently lately for the most part and still can’t see to more than break even, mostly due to a series of crappy beats. Though I’ve been paying more attention to hands that make me lose money. Or hands that I see other players lose money with.
The type of hand that seems to be the culprit for most money needlessly lost is Ace-X suited. People, including sometimes myself, tend to play these hands for a raise, even against tight players with no other calls. Though Ace-Jack and better can be good hands in and of themselves, for a raise you can’t be sure where you are if you hit the ace on the flop and the raiser bets hard. The number one rule of money management is not to put your money in bad, especially without odds.
So what are you trying to hit when you play Ace-ten suited and below? You’re going for the flush, right? So 1 in 9 times or so you’ll make that four flush. You are then 30%ish dog to make the flush against a pair bigger than your kicker. The only other flop you can want is to make the flush (the odds of which are so far it’s hardly worth calculating) and flopping Aces up, which can still be beat and will almost always get you broke if your opponent flops a set or a better aces up, which is as unlikely as you flopping aces up, but still… most of the time you are going to miss this hand.
On top of that, flush draws are probably the most obvious draw in the game. If you make your flush draw and it hits, your opponents are going to know, and they most likely won’t be putting any more money in the pot. So your implied odds on getting paid in the rare instances you do make this hand are usually not great. Most of the time flushes get paid when they end up all-in before they’ve made their hand, which, once again, is a losing proposition.
Still, I see people paying 4-6x the big blind in a heads up pot to play this hand.
Want to quit leaking? Stop it.
The only time Ace/X suited is profitable is when you’re allowed to see the flop for cheap, and sometimes a midraise with several other callers. You’re still a long shot to make the hand you want, but against no aggression often the ace can play by itself, and if you don’t make your hand or draw, you aren’t going to lose much.
Ace/X suited is not the nuts yet. Play it like you’d play 22 or 33: cheaply, then hit it or quit it.
Tags: Ace-x-suited, cash-game, flush-draws
1 opinion for Quickest Way To Fix Your Game
Jereme
Dec 13, 2007 at 3:38 am
Amen brother.
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