No max buy-in NL question

I'm a live play newb. I met gnomes, fanatic, elipsisjeff and mike066 at Ceaser's in Indiana last w/e and the only NL game they offer is 2/5 $200 min NO max buyin. The blinds aren't high stakes, but when you add in the average stack is ~1K with quite a few at 3K or more, I think it qualifies. Fri night I buy in for $300 quickly run it up to $800 then bust out when someone flops a set of 7s against my PF AA and destacks me after about 45 minutes on the table. This was my first night of live NL(in a casino).

Sat night I decide to buyin for closer to the average for 1K so I don't get run over. This is about 1/3 of my BR at the time which is definitely a nono, but I decide to play TABTA(tight), avoid the big stacks and pick on the smalls. Works pretty well on the must move table and I'm up to about 1.8K when I get moved to the main table, where the competition is tougher and the stacks deeper.

A few hours later I'm on the button. UTG(and biggest stack) makes it 20 to go and there are 4 calls. I look down and see AA. After a short acting job I raise to 200. UTG raises to 800. He's on the loose side but very tough. Obviously a regular and probably has about 8K at this point. There's now about 1100 in the pot. Everyone folds back to me. I know he has to have KK. After getting destacked the night before w/AA I'm a little worried about it happening again. I could either call and hope for a safe flop. Reraise the minimum and again hope for no K or a fold, or reraise AI.

After stalling for a few minutes I opt for BR protection and go AI. I figure he will lay down but if not I'm 80% to win. Given my tightness, I'm not sure he would even put any more money in the pot and would figure me to stay only w/AA. Therefore a call may only give him the shot to hit his set w/o getting me anymore money. I give him every indication I have AA, and he knows I've been playing tight. Even as an 80% favorite I'm hoping he folds. If I had a deeper stack or BR I play this differently. A min raise may induce a call, but if he knew I had AA should and/or would he call? After a couple minutes and some cursing he flings his cards down, splashes his bet all over the table and folds. This was definitely my biggest win ever. Ended the night up 1.4K.

After the hand I was thinking this was a mistake on my part, but the more I think about it w/my BR and a guaranteed 900 profit, I don't mind it. It's a little conservative but anyway...

My question is: Probably most people here have at least once played beyond their BR. In my situation with my BR do you:

a) slowplay and just call
b) try to illicit a call or an AI w/a min reraise
c) go AI for the guaranteed $900 profit w/no risk.

(I know the obvious answer "don't play outside your BR and with scared money". Ignore that for now please)

First it sounds by you're post you were playing with scared money. I cant belive you sound scared with AA preflop with someone re-raising. (This is what you want) Who cares if if last night you got de-stacked.

I push here everytime hoping i get a call and if i don't that is g00t too.

And yes I have played out of my bankroll at times.

Originally Posted by Muxy

First it sounds by you're post you were playing with scared money.

Somewhat. I wasn't scared of the hand, or really even the money itself. It was more the hit to my BR. If I was playing w 1/20th of my BR or both our stacks were deeper I'd be less worried. I just opted for the nearly 100% chance of winning 1 buyin vs. 80% chance of winning 2 buyins where buyin = 1/3 of BR. Just wondering what others who have played way outside their BR would do in a similar situation.

Have to push.

Whenever I'm playing above my bankroll, I'm trying to get the maximum out of the stuff.

I'd reraise to let's see...the minimum is $1400, so I'd raise to that, then I'd go all in on the turn, no matter WHAT hits.

Originally Posted by Muxy

First it sounds by you're post you were playing with scared money. I cant belive you sound scared with AA preflop with someone re-raising. (This is what you want) Who cares if if last night you got de-stacked.

I push here everytime hoping i get a call and if i don't that is g00t too.

And yes I have played out of my bankroll at times.

Very good point. If I have AA preflop, I want someone to keep pushing back at me. I have the BEST hand before the flop and they're betting into me. See previous post of mine in a similar, yet cheaper, situation: http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...ic.php?t=16347

If I didn't hold AA in that spot, I'd be a little worried, but I was the calmest I have ever been at a table (well, except for happiness)

You have to push. Even if you smooth call the 800 raise, you are pot stuck. Even if a K appeared on the flop I would be AI, because opponent may have AK or QQ which you still have crushed.

(a) slowplay is only going to cause trouble. You let him take control of the hand and see a flop. Maybe he makes a set and you kick yourself for not pushing. If he moved in on the flop, would you really consider folding?

(b) min raise is out in this situation you would be committing your whole stack even w/ a min re-raise.

(c) move AI is best by far. First you give yourself opportunity to win the pot right there if opponent folds, and even better you are hoping for a call with that hand.

You made him fold when you were way ahead, and he gave you every indication he was pretty happy with his hand. Basically, you made his really hard choice -- laying down kings -- as easy as it possibly could have been. You want your opponent to make mistakes, so this is a bad thing. The fact that you got destacked by a set the night before is irrelevant. You are already guaranteed a heads up pot with a 4.5 to 1 favorite. Extract the most money possible. I think a smooth call of his raise is best. If the flop comes low cards, make a 1/3 sized bet, like you have JJ or QQ and you are testing the waters. If an ace comes, check to him and let him do the betting. If a king comes, go with your reads. Make a huge laydown if you are more than 80% sure that he made his set (or whatever the pot odds require -- too lazy to figure it out). However, if he will call your reraise allin with KK or QQ often enough (more than: (percentage of flops you are ahead on * percentage of flops he will get all in on)/(.81)), then reraising allin is correct. Basically it comes down to this: is he a good player or not, and does he think you are a good player? If yes and no, push. If yes and yes, call, pushing almost every flop. If no, push.

this 2+2 discussion is relevant, and supports the call/push line against probable kings:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...5&o=14&fpart=1

If you had position, I often call here and tell myself that if the flop is K high I'm probably folding every time (Though, I will be forced to bet incase he has QQ) But an AI is clearly always correct in this spot.

-'rilla

Face, you ignore the fact that he is pot stuck and it would be foolish to jerk around w/ 1/3 pot bets after the flop. All you would accomplish is enticing pot odds and a cheaper chance to get your AA cracked. Pot was already sweet enough to stop f'n around and if he did get a call on the AI, all the better.

From a psych perspective, if he did get cracked, you could sleep better knowing all the money went in when he was ahead.

You should go to Belterra's poker room. They have a nice NL game with a $400 max buy in. You dont have to worry about soo many people overstacking you like you do at Ceasars.