How do you play your hand?
A. Move all in because aces are the best poker hand and the raiser will surely call.
B. Reraise to $400. The initial raiser will probably cash course call your reraise and maybe even move in on you.
Analysis
Option B is our preferred play. Both of the blinds and Passive Paul will probably fold. Action Al, who raised to $200, is almost sure to call your raise. Heads-up against Al, your aces will have a better chance of holding up than they would in a multiway pot. Remember that we want some action with our pocket aces.
SCENARIO 3
Now suppose all the poker players have around $1,000 in chips except one poor soul who has only $250 left in his stack. The blinds are $10 and $25 and once again, you are on the button with:
The first two players after the big blind each limp in for $25. Novice Nancy, who is the short stack, moves in for her total $250.
How do you play your two Aces?
A. Move all in so you can isolate the short stack bluffing hand
B. Raise to $500
C. Smooth call the $250
Analysis
Option C would be correct play in this scenario. There's no reason to blow the other players out by reraising since $250 is a very large raise when the blinds are only $10 and $25. It is much better to just call in the hope that you can pick up one of the other players ("picking up a player" means that someone else will enter the pot limit holdem poker).
SCENARIO 4
Now suppose the blinds are $10 and $25 and all the players have about poker$1,000 in chips except poor pitiful you. You have only $275 left. Authority Artie limps in for $25 and Reckless Rick raises to $100. Sitting on the button with your measly $275, you see a ray of sunshine at the end of the tunnel-pocket aces at last!
How do you play your hand?
A. Smooth-call hoping to get other players to come in
B. Move all-in determining bet
Analysis
Both A and B could be correct. If you smooth-call, more players might come in, thus giving you a chance to win a big pot. The raiser will usually bet the flop, especially since you are short on chips. The raiser actually could help protect your hand against the other players in the pot if he bets after the flop.
Option B is correct because you're almost sure of getting called with a good chance of doubling up-and when you are short on chips; you're always looking for opportunities to double up. Option B is also safer than Option A because, with fewer players in the pot after you have raised them out of it, your chances of winning poker game are greater.