AQo on the Button

[Officer Farva]

Live $25 NLHE Rebuy event

Blinds 100-200, 43 left, top 10 pay

I have about T3500 in chips

Play is pretty tight overall, with only about 1 in 3 flops seen, as preflop raise will normally take it down.

I'm on the button, and pick up AQo. Two loose-weak players limp in middle position. I put them on worse aces or perhaps small pocket pairs. My thinking is: If I call, I give them a chance to catch. They will probably fold to a large raise, so why not exploit my advantage preflop? I push..

Why do you do here? I'll post results later...

[schwza]

there's 700 in the pot and you have 3500. that's a pretty big push, and if you get called, you're almost certainly in real bad shape.

i would limp and plan to go to the felt with TP.

[joyride]

I'd raise it 3X every time on the button in an unraised pot, and see what the blinds do. I don't like the the push. At all. One of the blinds could wake up to a monster, and you're stuck with all of your chips in a hand that-even though you've probably got the limpers beat-isn't all that good of a hand to go out of the tournament on, especially when you've got that many chips in relation to the blinds. You've still got time.

I agree with not just limping, though. You can get away from this hand pretty easy if one of the blinds reraises you all-in, and you're only out 600, instead of being out of the tournament. You never did say what the chip stacks of the blinds were like.

[jon_1van]

This might be a bit excessive. But it will take a pretty large bet from you to prevent giving your opponent the pot odds. And once you've put that much in why not just put in your whole stack. This way you can kill the hand right here more frequently.

I think trying to win this pot preflop is a decent idea. You'll increase your sack 20% if you can, so going for it isn't terrible.

Keep in mind that if one of these "loose" players can't fold mediocre hands like TT,99, or even A7 you maybe gambling with a large chung of your stack...possibly gambling with a decent advantage but still gambling. And if a player can't make these folds they might have other gaps in thier games that won't force you to take such a big risk.

Here is how'd I'd probably proceed. If I thought one of these players was capable of open betting a flop he/she completly missed with something like KJ I would be much more inclined to push/large raise. The reason for this is that 1. I probably don't get players like this in too many "I'm confident I have an edge situations" and 2. I don't want to lose a 700 chip pot because I lost control of the hand.

But if the player can check/call with A7 or 88 to a flop of 92Q or A92 then I would put in a small raise and be willing to give them a shot to beat me but keep my risk of busting low.

I don't think your path was terrible. But it was risky. Wether is was too risky will depend on the caliber of opponents vs you

[fnord_too]

[ QUOTE ]
Live $25 NLHE Rebuy event

Blinds 100-200, 43 left, top 10 pay

I have about T3500 in chips

Play is pretty tight overall, with only about 1 in 3 flops seen, as preflop raise will normally take it down.

I'm on the button, and pick up AQo. Two loose-weak players limp in middle position. I put them on worse aces or perhaps small pocket pairs. My thinking is: If I call, I give them a chance to catch. They will probably fold to a large raise, so why not exploit my advantage preflop? I push..

Why do you do here? I'll post results later...

[/ QUOTE ]

I would raise to about 1000. That should clear out the limpers. This is a spot I like to steal from with any two as well. I think pushing is not so hot. 1k should take down the pot nearly as often as pushing, plus if you get called you can use your position to some advantage after the flop. Also, you can lay down your hand if someone pushes (with enough chips to hurt you).

[Big O]

I hate AQo or AQs in EP or the Blinds. I call and see the flop. I hit an A or Q, I then would push. You get to see the flop for free and if you miss, u fold and your still alive.

[gergery]

I raise to 1000 (3xbb+1BB per limper). If they have weaker aces you want them calling, not going away. And if they have small PPs you want them calling, since most often they’ll miss the flop and have to fold to couple overcards.

You’re risking 1000 to win 700 here, so if you’ll only see 1 in 3 flops it’s a good risk, and of course you flop TP 1 in 3 if they do call.

--Greg

[Officer Farva]

Thanks for the advice. BTW, I had both of the limpers covered, though not by much.

I decided to push. One fold, and one reluctant call. He said, you have me beat, but then flipped over pocket 3's! No help came, I was severely crippled.

Reflecting on this hand, I like the idea of a 3BB raise. It gives me more information about the other players, and allows me to outplay on the flop. The quality of player in this tourney is pretty poor (at an Indian Casino), and a common play is to call with pps and look for a set. Thus, a smarter play against these players is to make them pay for the flop, then scare them off when (and if) they don't hit.

I play this tournament quite frequently, and I always walk away baffled by the play of my opponents. Someone needs to write a book specifically about playing against morons...