Aces, the perfect blind steal hand

Pretty good day online yesterday, satellited into two weekly final super sats, including the Green Joker Poker WSOP final again, so happy with that. Almost won a ticket to Madrid too: second last table, 6 tickets, I've about 60% of what I reckon I need for the ticket when I pick up kings two off the button. Two limpers. There's a French lunatic I'd earlier seen push all in with A6o and suck out who keeps coming over the top with any pair, rag aces etc., so I raised to 5BB (bigger than normal for me). Sure enough, he pushes all in (I cover him). Shortie on the button pushes too, I call. Frenchie has Jacks, shorty has 5's, happy days. Flop is K102 rainbow, happier days. Turns a 9 and alarm bells start to ring and yup, rivers a gutwrenching Q. Otherwise, I've got my ticket, instead I'm short and push into Aces with AQ.

Played some cash and barely broke even. Could have been a big winning day: got into a 2000 Euro pot with a massive draw. 15 outs twice, but missed.

Played my local pub tournament in the evening. No joy, but plenty of fun. First I had to contain myself as the resident geniuses who regard hands like J8o as the mortal nuts discussed what a shit player in the IO apparently is. A third guy claiming to be a mate of his offered a very lukewarm defence that "he's improved a lot in the last few months". Sample play from this guy: I've not played a pot yet, I raise with AJ, he min reraises, normally I fold but decide to call since this is a glorified turbo sit and go. Flow K109, I check, he overbets the pot, I fold, he shows QJ.

Few hands later, I raise again with AJ, he calls, SB shoves (for 80 BB's!), I fold, he calls. I'm expecting to see Queens and Ace King, but no, it's 2's and Ace 10.

Did win one early pot when I raised 3 BB with Q's on the button, sighed when I got five callers, but was happy when the flop came Q22. Flop checked around. Turn's a promising looking Ace, but still nobody betting. River's a hopeful 10 but still nobody biting. I throw out a bet of 500 hoping the pot odds of 3 to 1 will tempt someone and yup, a guy with K4 calls on the basis that he didn't think I had a Ace or a Queen when I didn't bet earlier.

Sat there like a rock sticking to the prescribed sng strategy of tight early, all in or fold late, when I pick up Aces UTG. Raise to 3 BB, one caller, and the BB. Flop is Q55, I bet 1200, blind calls. Turns an innocuous 8 but I figure I'm either way ahead of behind to a 5 so I just check. River's a Q. Gah. She bets 2000, I fold showing Aces, she shows Q3o. General puzzlement as to how I could fold aces. I've just reenforced the general opinion I'm the worst player there, so I start getting advice from everyone. Should have shown preflop. 3 BB UTG when I haven't played a hand in a hour isn't strength? Apparently not: what you always want to do with aces is move all in. Makes them much harder to crack.

In the end, I'm down to 4.5 BB when I push with QJ and get a lucky double up against JJ. Then I'm down to 7.5 BB again when I have 3's in the SB. Three limpers. I know the first two always limp fold to an allin, and I know for a fact the third guy doesn't have a pair (he's the guy who lectured me on going allin with Aces, and had gone all in with 2's earlier, so he always raises with a pair), so it's likely a good a spot as any, and I shove. Read is spot on, first two limpers fold their ace rags, and third guy calls with Ace 9. Flops a 9 and c'est ma vie.

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