The inherent danger of limping with aces in early position is that you could end up in a multi-way pot and have to make some very difficult decisions after the flop. But one of the best feelings in poker is making the big fold and finding out on the end that it was the right play. Here's an example from last night's 25c/50c NL game.
I was in the small blind with Jc8c, UTG limped, a couple of players called, and I called as well. The flop came 9s-Jd-8s, giving me two pairs. Since there were about 5 players in the pot and the flop was very coordinated, I bet out $1.50, mainly to find out where I was at. The UTG immediately made it $5 to go, it was folded around to me, and I was faced with decision time. The UTG player only had another $10 and change behind, so if I called his raise I would basically be committing myself to the hand. I decided that he did not have Q-10 for the nut straight, as I didn't think he would have played it that fast with 3 people left to act behind him, so I put him on the flush draw, possibly with a ten, or a hand like Jack-ten which was top pair with a open-ended straight draw. I called, with the intention of moving all-in if the turn card was not scary (a spade, Q, 10, or 7). The turn was the 3d, and I pushed in. UTG sat there for a minute, typed "AA" in the chat box, and folded. I did not show my hand, but wrote "If you really had AA that was an excellent fold" and then said "two pairs". He replied "was worried about the straight" and I replied "put you on the flush draw - couldn't give you a free river card." I thought he played the hand excellently after the flop - just I had bet my strong hand to find out where I was at, he raised with his strong hand to find out where he was at. Once he got called by me and I pushed the non-threatening turn card he made an excellent read that he was beaten, but even if he had not been way behind at the time I could easily have had one of the hands I had put him on and thus would have had myriad river outs. He didn't put me on the correct hand, but he did know he was beat, and made a big-time fold.
I was in the small blind with Jc8c, UTG limped, a couple of players called, and I called as well. The flop came 9s-Jd-8s, giving me two pairs. Since there were about 5 players in the pot and the flop was very coordinated, I bet out $1.50, mainly to find out where I was at. The UTG immediately made it $5 to go, it was folded around to me, and I was faced with decision time. The UTG player only had another $10 and change behind, so if I called his raise I would basically be committing myself to the hand. I decided that he did not have Q-10 for the nut straight, as I didn't think he would have played it that fast with 3 people left to act behind him, so I put him on the flush draw, possibly with a ten, or a hand like Jack-ten which was top pair with a open-ended straight draw. I called, with the intention of moving all-in if the turn card was not scary (a spade, Q, 10, or 7). The turn was the 3d, and I pushed in. UTG sat there for a minute, typed "AA" in the chat box, and folded. I did not show my hand, but wrote "If you really had AA that was an excellent fold" and then said "two pairs". He replied "was worried about the straight" and I replied "put you on the flush draw - couldn't give you a free river card." I thought he played the hand excellently after the flop - just I had bet my strong hand to find out where I was at, he raised with his strong hand to find out where he was at. Once he got called by me and I pushed the non-threatening turn card he made an excellent read that he was beaten, but even if he had not been way behind at the time I could easily have had one of the hands I had put him on and thus would have had myriad river outs. He didn't put me on the correct hand, but he did know he was beat, and made a big-time fold.
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