Reason #8 Why Ace-Rag Suited Sucks

[Tiburon]

PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , .
5 folds, CO raises, Button 3-bets, 2 folds, CO calls.

Flop: (7.33 SB) , , (2 players)
CO checks, Button bets, CO raises, Button 3-bets, CO caps, Button calls.

Turn: (7.66 BB) (2 players)
CO bets, Button calls.

River: (9.66 BB) (2 players)
CO bets, Button calls.

Final Pot: 11.66 BB

Results in white below:
CO has Qs Ts (full house, queens full of kings).
Button has Th Tc (two pair, kings and queens).
Outcome: CO wins 11.66 BB.

I would've turned the nut flush and pissed away a TON of chips before slowing down (and losing on the river).

[EscapePlan9]

And why it is awesome (in loose-passive games where there rarely are pre-flop raises):

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with , . MP3 posts a blind of $0.50.
Hero calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, 1 fold, MP3 (poster) checks, CO calls, Button calls, 1 fold, BB checks.

Flop: (7.50 SB) , , (7 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP3 raises, CO calls, Button calls, BB calls, Hero 3-bets, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP3 caps, CO calls, Button folds, BB folds, Hero calls, MP1 calls.

Turn: (14.25 BB) (4 players)
Hero bets, MP1 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls.

River: (18.25 BB) (4 players)
Hero bets, MP1 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls.

Final Pot: 22.25 BB

[Tiburon]

Ok, EP9--the sky's blue, right?

In that scenario above, I'd have been calling 2.5 SB cold just to see that flop. Your situation is almost ideal. You hit the ace for top pair, with a flush draw. All you worry about is the draw missing and you being outkicked. When the draw comes in, it's just gravy. Beware the board pairing and play it just like you did.

Great hand (though I'm sure piers would vomit seeing that you called with A8 from UTG)!

[EscapePlan9]

hahaha yeah I think the sky is blue.

I agree AXs sucks when there's a lot of pre-flop action and the pot isn't contested multi-way (in your example it was heads-up with a raise and re-raise). That's the same with all suited connectors and low pocket pairs though.

If you're not limping in with AXs in loose-passive tables like the one I was at (7 people to the flop!), you're missing out on a lot of profitable situations. I only limp A9s-A2s from EP in EXTREMELY loose-passive tables. In the somewhat looser ones, with 4 or 5 people seeing the flop, I'll limp from MP on with A9s-A2s.

[Tiburon]

7 to the flop? Damn--I might be limping K-rag suited UTG there!