Are you in favor of slow playing aces in hold'em?

My favorite situation to slow-play pocket aces preflop is when I have been reraised by one of the blinds after I have made an open-raise. This reraise from out of position is almost always kings, queens, or A-K, so I have both position and confidence in reading where I stand on most of the flops. This is a gambling situation to relish.

There is no right or wrong answer, as the situation dictates the optimal action most of the time, but I can tell you that most inexperienced players slow-play big pairs way too often, and then over-play them after the flop. They limp into pots with 4 other players and then shove post flop without improving their hands when there's a raise and re-raise in front of them. And then they complain that they always lose with aces and how their opponents are donkeys because they out-flopped them with 4-5 suited.

Like I said, there is no hard and fast rule, but in general, you should only be limping in from early position at tables where you know most of the time, someone is going to raise it up from late position and you can then go over the top. You should only be flat calling raises when you're in late position at tables where most of the pots are between two players (i.e., you're pretty sure the blinds are going to fold), and your opponent is usually going to fold to a pre-flop re-raise.

Your goal whenever you have pocket aces should be to isolate one player pre-flop and try to take down a moderate pot. If you're at a table where slow playing is going to get you into a multi-way pot, it's almost always the WRONG play.

For those who actually read the question, he is talking about LHE.

In the majority of cases I would not slow play them. But thats me and I have a pretty wide range of hands that I would raise in LHE. If you were the nittiest of all times and it folds around to the SB who flats and you are sitting in the BB w/ AA I could see a check. If you were so tight that raising could only mean big pocket pair, then yes I would be in favor of slow playing there so you dont lose your customer.

I would say do not slow play aces unless you are headsup with another player. Like let's say you are first to play and you are dealt pocket aces, I would raise 2-3X the big blind to get players with moderate hands out of the hand like 10-9 suited A-2 suited and so on. The only time I would slow play them is I was big blind and no one else plays other than the small blind. Then just check to the flop.

I hope this helps!

-Randall-

If you slow play you are missing value and giving them the opportunity to out draw you for cheap. If you hit a set on a dry board or something and they are very aggressive then you can let them bet into you, but don't try against just anyone.

It really depends on your position, number of other players already in the hand and how you rate their play. I might slow-play heads-up against a rock hoping he hits something on the flop. Against a wild-man, I'd squeeze him till he bleeds.