How do you play Ax?

[jah0550]

In early position, I generally fold A,2-9, unless it's suited, then I limp. My question is what do you do with an A,2-9o in middle to late position when blinds are small in a SNG? Even if you can get away with limping, should you? Is your calling affected by how many limpers there are or the size of your stack/their stacks? Any adivse would be appreciated.

[2planka]

fold

Not sure exactly what you're asking. Calling off chips with a weak A (even if it's suited) is a good way to damage your stack early in a SNG, IMO.

[Phill S]

i may play little ace suited if the situation warants it (im more used to 1500 starting stacks, so time will tell on party).

i never play them unsuited. you need to be hitting two pair to be sitting pretty. and even then its very dangerous.

of course if i somehow got crippled that is another question. there are often time when you must put it on the line with such junk, but its rarely before it gets down to 5 left and even then i need to be quite short.

Phill

[spacemonkey57]

I never play the offsuit. Assuming the BB is small I'll limp in LP w/ Axs in an unraised pot. I'm check folding the flop if an Ace hits without a four flush. I don't play at Party though, so I'm used to either 1000 or 1500 starting stacks.

[Victor]

In LP and MP early in a tournament these hands are always folds unless I am hopelessly short stacked for some reason.

Later in a sng as more people are eliminated these hands become raises.

[rybones]

I guess, the question I would ask what I you hopping for on the flop? in a pp sng you do not want to be wasting any -- not even 15 chips -- on a 4 flush draw in the early rounds. If you catch an ace you are seriously out kicked and be honest about the possibility of 2 pair. I would maybe play A, little suited from the small blind if nearly everyone was in and then check fold if I did not catch the flush or wheel on the flop. I might bet half the pot if I had both the 4 flush draw and the 4 to a wheel draw. The reason to bet from early position is to keep others from betting so big you cannot see the next card. It doesn't always work. If someone came over the top I would fold. anyway, these are just my thoughts

Ryan

[Travis]

Jah,

Fold Axs and Axo like the plague early in a SnG. Early in the SnG you need to be conserving chips.

[stupidsucker]

Ax can be a terrible hand or a fantastic savior. You just have to play it right.

Early rounds
Its horrible horrible. I muck all the way up to AJo every time, and sometimes AQo if there is action I dont like ahead of me, or from early position. Axs is not much better. Limping in early on a psssive table is OK, but best after there is already a limp or 2 in front. You are looking for trips, flush/draw or 2pair. The ace is NOT enough. It's a trap. If you get the draw dont play it without pot odds, maybe checkraise all in if its HU.(This is a judgment call)

I hate Ax in the middle rounds unless I have a huge stack. It can be a life savor as a push to steal blinds, but its a horrible horrible awful idiotic call. It makes me laugh so hard when A8o calls my all in from the BB and I suck out with my K9 that I pushed with, cause I was short. They call me idiot, moron and what have you, but truth is they made the bad call.

Summary..

For the most part get rid of it as if it was plagued. Push with it when you have to. Avoid calling with it unless you are desperate.

[mscott2374]

[ QUOTE ]
For the most part get rid of it as if it was plagued. Push with it when you have to. Avoid calling with it unless you are desperate.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that this is excellent advice. What you want to avoid is putting yourself to difficult decisions & playing this type of hand will make you have to make tuff decisions.
Just fold it and wait for a proper hand IMO.

[poboy]

This is easy I don't play them at all. What could you possibly flop that would make you comfortable with the hand. Only a flush, and that happens very rarely. Most of the time you'll catch 2 of your suit and bleed away some chips hoping to complete it.