NL Trouble Hand

This is a No-limit hand from last night that is really bugging me. This was in a live game with $2-$3-$5 blinds, $10 to come in.


A newbie in early position limps, I limp in earlyish-middle position with AJo. A player behind me limps. The button, a tough, sometimes tricky player, limps. BB also calls.


The flop comes A-8-3, suits not important. Checked to me, I bet $40. Button calls, Newbie calls.


The turn is a Q. Newbie checks. I check. The button bets $75, and the newbie folds. I think the button could very likely have a weaker ace, but he could also have, a set, two pair, or possibly AK. I also think he may be trying to make a play at me, as he knows I'm capable of folding a hand and showed weakness by checking to him. Also, I think my table image is pretty weak-tight, based on the way my play to this point is probably perceived. His stack is around $1000, and I have about $325 at this point. I call.


The river is a blank. I check, button bets $300. I call the rest of my stack.


Any advise is greatly appreciated. Results will follow.

My opponent took it down with Ace-King.


I know I probably played this poorly, but am not sure how I could have played it which would have

resulted in a different outcome. I don't think there's anything too wrong with limping in with AJ from this position. A a larger bet on the flop wouldn't have accomplished anything. A bet

on the turn also would not accomplish anything. A fold on the turn or river was probably in order. I guess I put too much weight on the image and perception issues, and not enough on the basics....


Thanks in advance for your comments.


Bosco

To me, the worst mistake in your play was not raising or folding preflop. As you discovered, AJ is a trouble hand. By bumping it to $20, you receive information that you were missing because you allowed your tricky opponent to conceal his hand. If he calls $10 he could have anything down to 2 3 suited. But if he is forced to call a raise, you give yourself a better chance to read his hand.


As far as your play on the flop and the turn, it's difficult to say beacuse you are in the worst possible position with a shakey hand. My sense is that the button probably would not cold call unless he can beat at least AJ; this, or he plans on stealing it from you on the turn. Read the board: No draws on the board at all. He must assume that one of you has an ace. What else could he possibly be calling with aside from an ace? As soon as he (and the BB, frankly) calls, you have to seriously begin to consider the option of dumping your hand.


On the turn, I think your best play is to fire into the pot. Again the reason for this is information gathering. If you had bet out, say, $60, and then had been raised by the button, you have to toss your hand without a second's hesitation. By checking here, you let HIM control the action by revealing information about YOUR hand. The effects of this play are a great example Sklansky's Fundamental Theorem of Poker in action.


Hope this helps.


-Marlow

"I don't think there's anything too wrong with limping in with AJ from this position"


There is something seriously wrong with limping in with AJo from early position and you got a taste of it.


When you flop an ace and are ahead you're not going to get any action. When you flop an ace and can't get away from your hand, you're going to lose your whole stack.

Why go to battle with such an inferior hand w/ out position? I hate AJo in limit games from early-mid position. Fold and be done with it. Also, I'm done on the flop. You bet 40 (a little under the pot of 45) and you get called twice? If it were rainbow, what could they call with? Name a hand they call that you beat.


Muck AJ unless you have position or your competition is really very bad.

I think the button could very likely have a weaker ace, but he could also have, a set, two pair, or possibly AK. I also think he may be trying to make a play at me...


That's pretty much all the options there are. I think you should work on narrowing down your reads.


That said, against a really aggressive tricky player, I'm not folding that hand, unless I think he knows that, in which case you get into to the "many levels deep" scenario where your cards almost don't matter.


natedogg

I tend to agree with most of the posts that state the weakness of playing the AJ in early position. However, since you were in the hand a better play on the turn may have won you the pot. When the queen hit and it is check to the button he bet $75, so you should fold or - raise all in. Represent the top two pair. It is just the type of hand the button player may put you on (given what you said about yourself). This would be, in my opinion, a better play than just calling down with your whole stack. If you felt stack committed to the hand then put it in on the turn - you would have given yourself a better opportunity to win right then. If he calls you have 3 outs for the Jack.


As to levels of thinking- well, the button player may of course see through the ploy. Well, so what- next time don't play Ace weak kicker in early position, leave that play for Natedogg.


-Zeno

Pre-flop call was a mistake. Not betting out on the turn was a mistake. Calling the river all-in was a mistake.


But the button's all-in bet with AK was a terrible move on his part, despite all the weakness you showed. Unless he saw your cards, I can't imagine what he was thinking.