| In no-limit Texas Hold'em there are many ways you | | | | just call the blind or raise the blinds one time, a "baby |
| can play pocket aces. Your positioning will of course | | | | bump". This is my preferred method of playing when I |
| affect how you bet them but in general most people | | | | have a sizable stack of chips or have just been |
| raise pre-flop. Sometimes you might push all in if you're | | | | seated at a new table because it makes me come |
| short stacked and try to entice some callers who think | | | | across as less threatening. No one suspects you then. |
| you're just trying to push them around. If you''re lucky | | | | If you raised a hand like A 10 three times the blind |
| they'll call and things will work out in your favor, but it | | | | earlier in the game and then you just call or do a baby |
| doesn't always work out that way. When you push all | | | | bump with your aces, no one will ever know. The risk |
| in and someone calls you it's simply up to the gods. | | | | in slow playing is that you'll let someone else catch |
| You can't do anything anymore. There's no chances | | | | something. If you just call then the blinds might have a |
| for psychological warfare. The other person's KQ off | | | | 3 4 and the flop gives them a straight. Again, you |
| suit could easily bring them two pair and your only | | | | never know. It's a risk. But on the upside, say you do a |
| hope is that the rest of the board pairs. You never | | | | baby bump and there are four callers, including the |
| know. | | | | blinds, and the flop comes J 2 7. There are no flush |
| Statistically, your chances are best when you raise | | | | draws possible and obviously no straight possibilities |
| pre-flop. The question then remains, how much. Three | | | | except for a runner, runner pull which is highly unlikely. |
| times the blind is a standard raise. So, if the table is a | | | | You have the perfect set up to pull a lot of cash out |
| tight table and no one really seems to be pushing | | | | of this hand. Small bets, enough to keep the majority |
| anyone around then three times the blind is probably | | | | of the players in but enough to make your efforts |
| sufficient enough to push out the junk cards that you | | | | worth it. Or maybe you in the action seat of the dealer |
| eliminate. If the table seems loose however you'll want | | | | and can watch what everyone does. You might just |
| to bump it up even more. Say five or six times the | | | | call someone else''s bet, then on the turn raise their bet |
| blinds. This will make people thoroughly examine their | | | | slightly. Slow playing pocket aces is risky but it can |
| hands and decide whether or not they're willing to push | | | | definitely be worth it. I've had hands that I walked |
| it all in. Why I say this is because if you're willing to call | | | | away with five hundred dollars from a low limit table (a |
| something blind for five or six times the blind you have | | | | $50 buy-in table) because I slowly pulled it out of the |
| to be willing to also take it to the end which may or | | | | other players. But the best part, was after that hand |
| may not mean pushing all your chips. If you're not willing | | | | they had no idea how to read me. I never play a hand |
| to do this from the start you shouldn't be calling. But | | | | the exact same way so there's no sign as to what I |
| none of that matters to you, heck, you want them to | | | | have. Why raise pocket aces when you can raise |
| call because before the flop, you have the best hand. | | | | pocket twos then hit a set on the flop and really |
| Now a less conventional manner of playing is the "slow | | | | screw their minds? Psychological warfare. |
| play". When you''re slow playing your cards you might | | | | |