Ace rag

unknown_username

Can someone give me some advice on playing Ace rag.

I normally fold anything below 10 which isnt suited to my Ace, but noticed so many people playing Ace rag so agressivley.

Sorry for bombarding the forums with a million and one questions but am aiming for next years WSOP!!

jimbo31

In Response to Ace rag:

Can someone give me some advice on playing Ace rag. I normally fold anything below 10 which isnt suited to my Ace, but noticed so many people playing Ace rag so agressivley. Sorry for bombarding the forums with a million and one questions but am aiming for next years WSOP!!
Posted by Lugger

stick to what ur doing and dont get involved with ace rag...only in latter stages of tourneys when the blinds dictate will u really need to play any ace ragger....let them play there rags,sit back and wait then clean up... simple really.... ;-)

unknown_username

So whats your limits on Ax?

If its same suit i tend to look cheaply if i can to see if i pair or flush potential.  If unsuited A10 is lowest i go.  Wont even play A5 although it has straight possibilities due to higher straight easily hit.

Talon

  As with most things in poker it depends.  If you are playing in a deepstack tourny then just throw it away because you have too much chance of being dominated. In a speed tourny i would probably be looking at raising with it but prepared to lay it down if the flop looks awful.

  Late stages of any tourny it is either all-in or fold. Remember to push with it, it is not an allin calling hand.
It is the sort of hand you play in a cash game especially if it is suited.

 You really can do anything you like as far as playing it is concerned as long as you rememberits limitations. If you hit the flop you either have top pair and a bad kicker or a low pair with top kicker. There are many ways to play an ace rag and all are fine as long as you dont get married to it if you only hit a small piece of the flop.

jimbo31

personally i think AX is overarated... u just mentioned that u may hit ur ace for a pair but u prob dont know where u r in the hand and are probably dominated by a bigger ace.... if u hit ur flush draw then 90% of players on here will go all the way and end up having it all in on the flop or turn...drawing for there tournies ( im looking at this as an mtt point of view) id rather play AX in the blinds or raise on the button....to see where the sb and bb "are at" then i can make a fold if i get reraised or try and outplay them using postion on the flop.... personally im mucking AX every time... ONLY IN EARLY TO MID STAGES OF A MTT...but as i go deeper and blinds increase with antes than AX will come into play as my hand range will be quite vast obviously depending on the structure and stack sizes....With AT ur about right but remember its a raising hand not a calling hand....if u get raised muck it coz again ur prob dominated...or racing...depends what ur style is mate... hope this helps a bit and good luck ;-)

BADBOY985

agree with earlier posts anything below a10 has to go. if its suited only if i can get in cheap must admit i used to be in love with suited ace rags you look at them and think if i hit my flush all i need is for someone to have the k or q suited and im cleaning up.

mosquito01

In Response to Ace rag:

Can someone give me some advice on playing Ace rag. I normally fold anything below 10 which isnt suited to my Ace, but noticed so many people playing Ace rdag so agressivley. Sorry for bombarding the forums with a million and one questions but am aiming for next years WSOP!!
Posted by Lugger

Never get involved, in an hand  below A 10 there are so many hands that are better than yours,play a suited Ace if you want, then if yoo don,t hit the flush fold you need an high kicker card most of the time, see my thread call a rag Ace a Tikay.

Hogg321

think what you're doing is fine, can maybe steal/limp with ace rag when in good position but apart from that keep it up

HartshorN

Important to play it well in Position, out of position anything below A10 is a fold. A 3x / 4xraise before me then im folding A10 also, maybe even AJ.

I seem to play suited aces quite a bit, probably one of many of my downfalls.

Tramshed

Dont know about anyone else but i am more and more amazed how many people in tourneys think rag ace is a great hand!! Even I have moved past that mindset now well usually!

DOHHHHHHH

I personally believe that ace rag is Under-rated.

This site uses 6 seater tables. Pick up Ace rag, ace 6 for example, and open for a raise.

Mid/late stages of a 6 handed tourny, If I have a biggish stack, Im raising 3/4 BB's and 1....

Target short stacks, if they re shove, their range for doing this includes 22 33 44 55, kq, kj, kt, TJs. Theres a good chance your ace is good. If it isnt, you are never dead. Make the call and try to progress in the tournament.

If you get re popped by a big stack, fold the hand. You lose 3 bbs, but everytime it is successful, u win 1 and half big blinds. Also, the move has implied value as a loose/crazy image is created, and after a while, people begin to shove back at you with ace rag, and this is when we cash in.

Played a d/stack tourny and was raising alot of pots, raised with ace 7 in the cut off, got re raised by the bb. I put him to the test for all his chips, and he called me with ace 5, I doubled.

Don't go crazy with ace rag, fold it more often than you play it, but dont look down at ace rag and auto fold. Its an ace after all. Never limp with it, and very rarely call with it (stack size of oppo dictates this)

GL, DOHH

Tramshed

mmm, good point Dohhhhh. Worth keeping in mind

DOHHHHHHH

I agree tramshed with ur earlier post, that when u r an absolute beginner, u think an ace is good.

Then, when you practise, become more aware, read about the game.....u realise that ace rag is bad!

Then in the third stage of your poker development, when you have aquired higher level poker skills, it becomes playable again.

Its like evolving as a player, as you become better, your range becomes bigger as you become more competent.

Beginners - Get rid of it

DOHH

pr1nnyraid

In Response to Re: Ace rag:

If I have a biggish stack, Im raising 3/4 BB's and 1.... Target short stacks, if they re shove, their range for doing this includes 22 33 44 55, kq, kj, kt, TJs. Theres a good chance your ace is good. If it isnt, you are never dead. Make the call and try to progress in the tournament. If you get re popped by a big stack, fold the hand. You lose 3 bbs, but everytime it is successful, u win 1 and half big blinds. Also, the move has implied value as a loose/crazy image is created, and after a while, people begin to shove back at you with ace rag, and this is when we cash in.

question: why do you want a 'loose/crazy' image in the latter stages of a tourney...wave goodbye to fold equity.
the range u have given is not accurate as it is only half their range, they also re shove 66+ and somewhere around A9+, leaving you in bad shape. Run the WHOLE range through stove and i bet the EV is questionable. not taking into account resteals from bigger stacks.

LadyFingrs

In Response to Re: Ace rag:

In Response to Re: Ace rag : question: why do you want a 'loose/crazy' image in the latter stages of a tourney...wave goodbye to fold equity. the range u have given is not accurate as it is only half their range, they also re shove 66+ and somewhere around A9+, leaving you in bad shape. Run the WHOLE range through stove and i bet the EV is questionable. not taking into account resteals from bigger stacks.
Posted by royal_hugo

Good post, but remember, in MTT's, there is a distinction to be made between chip EV and money EV

DOHHHHHHH

In Response to Re: Ace rag:

In Response to Re: Ace rag : question: why do you want a 'loose/crazy' image in the latter stages of a tourney...wave goodbye to fold equity. the range u have given is not accurate as it is only half their range, they also re shove 66+ and somewhere around A9+, leaving you in bad shape. Run the WHOLE range through stove and i bet the EV is questionable. not taking into account resteals from bigger stacks.
Posted by royal_hugo

Well the image part speaks for itself not sure its neccessary for me to answer that, u already know. I presume we're not talking about a velocity or speed tourny,I'm not gonna be raising every pot, there is still time to wait for good hands. - They'll get paid off.
People are gonna re shove me with poor hands, n this is how I progress in the tournament. As long as I pick the spots properly and dont raise into the big boys, I dnt mind getting my money in 60/40 behind against someone with a 5th of my stack.
Play tight early doors, changing gears towards the mid/later stages of the tourny, simple stuff?

As for the range not being accurate, I said his range INCLUDES these hands which i'm ahead/racing against, again ill take a race 100% of the time against a shorter stack if my money is in first, this makes me a favourite to win the hand.

U can shove ya trackers n stoves up ya bottom they're tools for people who want to play like robots and for people who've read too much from 'pros' and base their game around the 'stereotypically correct' 'play'.

Whats wrong with playing from personal experience, feel, and instinct? - Haven't seen a poker calculator or a book written about those skills....

pr1nnyraid

In Response to Re: Ace rag:

In Response to Re: Ace rag : Well the image part speaks for itself not sure its neccessary for me to answer that, u already know. I presume we're not talking about a velocity or speed tourny,I'm not gonna be raising every pot, there is still time to wait for good hands. - They'll get paid off. People are gonna re shove me with poor hands, n this is how I progress in the tournament. As long as I pick the spots properly and dont raise into the big boys, I dnt mind getting my money in 60/40 behind against someone with a 5th of my stack. Play tight early doors, changing gears towards the mid/later stages of the tourny, simple stuff? As for the range not being accurate, I said his range INCLUDES these hands which i'm ahead/racing against, again ill take a race 100% of the time against a shorter stack if my money is in first, this makes me a favourite to win the hand. U can shove ya trackers n stoves up ya bottom they're tools for people who want to play like robots and for people who've read too much from 'pros' and base their game around the 'stereotypically correct' ' play '. Whats wrong with playing from personal experience, feel, and instinct? - Haven't seen a poker calculator or a book written about those skills....
Posted by DOHHHHHHH

I understand what your saying i just disagree, obv use instinct and personal experience over anything.. showing a dis regard for these tools is dumb tho, its good to use and understand them even if only to comprehend what range the op might have. as for me being a robot u could not be more wrong, gl tho.