Dream hand at the WSOP: How would you play it?

[nabmom]

You finally achieve your dream and have bought into the wsop Main Event for $10,000! You arrived yesterday in Vegas, it's Day 1A, and you sit at your table eager to play! This is the trip and the tournament of a lifetime! You're on the button in the very first hand and look down to see pocket aces! However, before the action gets to you, two other players have shoved all-in.

What do you do?
Do you call and potentially triple-up in the 1st hand of the WSOP Main Event? Or do you fold and guarantee you will not be knocked out in the first hand of the tournament? How would you play this hand?

 

[Ogma]

I used to play the Hubbles freerolls on pokerstars back in the early 2000's and I was once given a pair of Aces and an all in to call on my first hand.

I called, as I would in your theoretical situation too.

Incidently, I'll never forget that hand. Now this all happened very quickly, remember.

Me: AA
Opponent: 72

I breathed a sigh of relief it wasn't another pocket pair.

Flop: QQ2

I'm still good

Turn: 7

I'm still feeling confident

River: 7

The bottom has just fallen out of my world. Yea, it's only a freeroll but I used to be (and still can be) very competitive. I want to win, regardless. I saw someone type 'lol' in the chatbar as I was booted out of the game on the first hand.

Jokerstars

 

[slysilvosilvo]

All in...

 

[dannystanks]

I’m most definitely shoving here.

 

[Poker Orifice]

Call.
I would never forgive myself if I folded in this spot. I actually still have a hand that haunts me (AQo) that I folded on the turn in my first & only WSOP LasVegas $1,500 nlhe event. It was early on and pot was getting BIG... I folded a monster while fearing that monster under the bed. My fear of losing kept me from thinking through the hand clearly so I chose to fold & stay in the tournament. Playing the hand over in my head after the tournament had me thinking I may have made a bad fold. (and now, years later I KNOW it was a VERY BAD Fold).

 

[pentazepam]

I snap-call even if it was on the bubble of course. First hand or last hand doesn't matter - I'm not there to socialize but to play poker.

 

[Luvepoker]

The correct play would be to snap call an hope they call but would I?

I think to be honest I would really hate to be in this situation. For me this is a fantasy that would never happen. If it did I honesty have to wonder if I would make the call. I never have or would fold pocket Aces like that but if I had the opportunity to play in the main event I could honestly believe I would make the fold here.

When I got my 1st opportunity to play a WSOP even in 2012 I never dreamed I would have the chance and if I did it would be a one time thing. Just before lay began a professional player gave me some advice. Don't worry about cashing. Just enjoy the show. If the opportunity to play happens and this happened I honest think i would make the wrong play and fold so I could enjoy the show.

 

[SpanRmonka]

I'm calling all day long. I made a similar, although less big money call recently in The Goliath tourney. I had KK and was facing a 4 bet all in on 3rd hand. For context I've just recently started playing live and this was my first really big event, I had driven 2 hours ish and was staying over.....I did not want to go out early......but this is poker.....You HAVE to play when you get the chance!

I won, the guy who 4 bet had ATo....crazy, but the buy in was only £150, not $10k, so I guess its easier for some people to splash it around. Not saying I'd like be comfortable, but this is literally what we play poker for right.....the rush, if there was no risk it would be a very dull game!!

 

[RhinoRyan89]

I don't think you would like being All in the first hand.

But with Aces on the button you have to call the 2 All ins it would put you in an amazing spot with potential to make a deep run or cash the tournament.

Imagine they both have AK and not pairs your crushing.

 

[G0930]

If I had the chance to fly thousands of kilometers to Vegas for the Main Event and I get dealt AA at the first hand with two allins before me I'd be furious and probably would fold despite knowing it's an incorrect move.
I won't let my journey to the other end of the world end with the very first hand .

 

[AKQ]

I snap-call even if it was on the bubble of course. First hand or last hand doesn't matter - I'm not there to socialize but to play poker.

Run it
triple up
Im not scared to run it once
If its the WSOP

Get ready to run it 1k times

 

[Gutshot Gus]

No Guts No Glory. Never played a 10k hand before, but I would then. If you start the tournament with a superior stack it is a gamechanger on strategy and gives you a much better chance to go deeper in the game.
If the lady in the red dress (AA) wants to dance, shake a leg.

 

[najisami]

Well, since it's a life changing situation, I would think about the saying "It's now or never!".
I would call of course, somewhat reluctantly, but I would call.

 

[Toruk Makto]

I would play the same way I play... letting everything flow, without putting pressure on myself. Be aware of the variable changes in the hand. I certainly wouldn't give it a chance with my AA! 🤑

 

[YLAN]

Very easy fold against 2 players. I will not win the tourney in the early stage but could definitely loose it all. Its a tournament of a lifetime & as a recreational player would like to test my mettle against good players. Busting out early is an absolute nightmare. I don't need to triple up early to win it all.

 

[pep12343]

Obviously I paid, if I didn't I would regret the rest of the tournament or play conditionally. I would never regret losing to AA in the first leg of such an important tournament. If I would regret not paying with those cards

 

[Tero]

To be honest, I don't know what I would do. I would be scared s.....ss in any case. To often we forget that aces are nothing more than a pair, and if we are against multiple opponents it is easier to loose with them. I would probably wait until the morning to wake up from this nightmare.

 

[skaterick]

i'm obviously allin too ! its very simple ; go big or go home . despite the insecure thinking/ feelings of some , there is nothing wrong with busting early .

 

[rock0001]

i would just shove and hope to triple my stack, because with only 2 players involved my odds of winning are very high so its worth the risk with the best preflop hand.

 

[Dzill_230]

I'm glad you liked the question. I've been wanting to participate in this event for a long time, and I've been saving up for the buy-in. And here it is: the first hand, pocket aces, and two players ahead of me have gone all-in. How should I play my hand??? Guys, I've read and heard a lot about playing your own game. If you have a bankroll for 100 buy-ins of $1, don't try to play in a tournament with a $10 buy-in - play within your means. But here's the thing, I've been dreaming about this, I've been saving up for it, and changing my playing style - it's an opportunity!! Everything that happens at the peak is memorable and leaves a strong impression. I wouldn't change my playing style even if I've played pocket aces or other scenarios before. I'll play, despite what the mathematicians say about the odds of winning against one opponent versus multiple opponents. All-in.

 

[lauestla]

Well I have experienced something close to that situation. Of course it was not at the WSOP, it was just at a Team League tournament. You know those games you want to play very seriously because they are part of a TEAM competition...
It was the very first hand of the tourney and I was dealt KK in good position. Two players limped so I raised 4bb : one opponent fold but the other shoved all-in.
It caused me a real headache : What should I do ? Well I did not want to be knocked out at the very first hand but, on the other hand, a double up so early would be a great opportunity to run deep in the tournament.
I really hesitated but finally called. He showed AA...
I never forgot that feeling of being busted out with a monster at the very first hand. It's awful.

So if I have one day the opportunity to play the main event of the WSOP, I want to stay long enough at the table to enjoy the game.
I want to live my dream more than 5 minutes only.
First hand dealt AA, two players shoving: I would be furious but I think I would fold.

 

[CollYan]

I already had this happen once in a freeroll and I was eliminated.....

 

[CNXRegie]

You finally achieve your dream and have bought into the WSOP Main Event for $10,000! You arrived yesterday in Vegas, it's Day 1A, and you sit at your table eager to play! This is the trip and the tournament of a lifetime! You're on the button in the very first hand and look down to see pocket aces! However, before the action gets to you, two other players have shoved all-in.

What do you do?
Do you call and potentially triple-up in the 1st hand of the WSOP Main Event? Or do you fold and guarantee you will not be knocked out in the first hand of the tournament? How would you play this hand?

Well, you know, it's a pretty interesting spot right out of the gate at the world series of poker Main Event. Pocket aces on the button is a dream scenario, but facing two all-ins before it even gets to you complicates things.

Firstly, you've got to consider the players who shoved. Are they the type to make such aggressive moves with weaker hands, or do they likely have monsters themselves? But it's your first Main Event and you have no idea who these players are so I would say go with your gut feel.

On the other hand, it's the Main Event, and the opportunity to triple up right at the beginning could set a positive tone for your entire run. From what I've learned in various poker trainings, I generally don't like to risk my entire stack on the first hand, even with aces. But who knows what mindset I have during that time.

In this situation, my better judgement would probably lean towards making the call. Aces are strong, and even if one or both of your opponents have kings or queens, you're still in great shape. Winning a big pot early would give you a nice cushion for the rest of the tournament. But hey, poker is a game of decisions, and sometimes you just have to go with your gut and embrace the gamble. It's the Main Event, after all – anything can happen!

 

[hjuosh]

"I hope I can play in a big tournament someday, like the WSOP or some EPT. That could be a great dream, I think, for any poker player. And if it is possible, of course, I've thought many times that a serious tournament must always be played in the same correct way, no matter what. A serious tournament must be played the same correct way. So, whether it's my dream game or another serious tournament in my city, I will play pocket Aces the same correct way. I hope it can be like that. But those are just my thoughts."

So then. In that particular situation. There are so many factors to consider. The first one of course is, the beginning of the tournament. And the must important is that a pocket AA on a triple way pot could not be the best hand. So. I think. Could be a good fold without trouble.

 

[zorro222_zorro222]

I would definitely call, there is so much value of having a big stack and being able to use it to accumulate more chips that it would definitely be worth it AND you have the best hand ever created. Having pocket kings in that spot would be interesting though and a tough decision or having a big stack on the bubble and an easy min-cash locked up but the largest stack of the tourney is sitting at your table and keeps going all to bully everyone, I might think about folding aces then, but given that it is the first hand and there is no ICM pressure on me, I am always calling there.