General strategy for playing AQ

[Lloyd]

AQ is one of those hands that gives me a little trouble. AK - no problem, I'll play it strongly unless someone really demonstrates that I'd be a huge dog. AJ - no problem, I'll play it carefully and will rarely get dominated by AK or AQ (at least I won't lose much). But AQ is just one of those hands that I've gotten in trouble with on more than one occassion.

If nobody has raised in front of me, I'll open with a raise holding AQ. If I have limpers in front of me, I'll still raise to see where I'm at.

But what is the best way of playing AQ if someone has raised in front of you? If it's an early raise do you lay it down because the range of hands primarily includes those that dominate you? What if it's from MP and you're in LP. A raiser could be holding anything from a middle pair to AA or AK although you're still probably a dog (albeit maybe slight) to anything other than AJ. Do you fold, smooth call or raise? And finally, what if you open raise and get raised behind you (not a check-raise, just a normal raise)? There's a good chance that you're behind but do you smooth call and just play it carefully if you hit an A on the flop?

For the purposes of this discussion, I've chosen to ignore whether it's suited or not but I guess that could play a small factor. And I'm also not taking into consideration any reads on opponenets. Clearly if you're dealing with a maniac the range of hands they could be open raising with is a lot greater and I'd be inclined to raise with AQ.

Care to share your thoughts?

[betgo]

If I or the raiser have less than 20xBB, I will generally push on the semibluff with AQ unless I have reason to believe the raiser is strong.

With deeper money I would usually call a raise. I would reraise if the raiser was putting in loose raises or I thought there was a good chance he would fold.

I would usually call an open push with AQ, however large the bet.

It would be hard to fold AQ to a single raise. However, I would generally fold if it was reraised when it came to me.

[zaxx19]

Wait you recommend pushing with 20xBB or less unreal....most of the last 3rd of tourneys is played at about 10-20 bb for most players, does that mean an automatic push is recommended following a raise in early postion?? IMHO This is so horrible i cant begin to tell you..Any call and your almost automatically an underdog. Given the prevalence of AK often you'll be dominated(74-26 thats a bad bad statistic & 70-30 against queens). @ 1-7BB yur absolutely correct move in with this hand. @ 15-20 BB(really pretty cumfy in tourneys)I might muck --In between gauge the situation a little bit more as far as your prospects for survival without doubling up here. No way i view AQ as an automatic push- Im not staking my whole tourney on AQ I just have too much confidence in maintaning-building a stack where im a favorite..I would say given a small raise a reraise might be in order if a steal is suspected... and if yur in the blinds defending with AQ is fine even with all-in at times.

The point is basically if you have nothing invested in the pot...why is it so important to move -in here @ 19BB?? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[betgo]

I agree. You might fold AQ to an early position raiser who is fairly tight. However, I would still generally push with less than 20xBB against a mid to late postion raiser.

You have to look at how the table is playing as well as the raiser. Is it likely the raise means one of the four hands you are worried about? What are the chances you are against a weaker ace? What are the chances the original raiser will fold?

[bads33d]

Ok, Ive been having a debate on what to do in this situation with AQs.

Your in MP+2 in a 10 seated full table part of a party poker super tournament.

The blinds are 50/100, you have an above average stack of 3200

Someone from UTG raises 5x the big blind, his stack size is 3777, he's also quite laggy.

I layed it down pretty fast, even though I did have position, but I don't like flat calling here and showing weakness, and then having another person pushing to steal the pot or I might be out of position if someone calls in LP.

???

[fnurt]

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, Ive been having a debate on what to do in this situation with AQs.

Your in MP+2 in a 10 seated full table part of a party poker super tournament.

The blinds are 50/100, you have an above average stack of 3200

Someone from UTG raises 5x the big blind, his stack size is 3777, he's also quite laggy.

I layed it down pretty fast, even though I did have position, but I don't like flat calling here and showing weakness, and then having another person pushing to steal the pot or I might be out of position if someone calls in LP.

???

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good example. I fold here as well.

In NL it's not just that you want to avoid being dominated; you don't really make money unless you have a dominating hand. If the raise comes from a steal position or from a LAG then AQ is a strong hand, but against a normal EP raiser it's not worth getting involved.

[Lloyd]

fnurt,

Just to clarify, you're saying that if you were in MP or LP and someone in EP opened for a raise (again, presuming no reads that the person is LAG), you're going to just muck it. Right?

What about if you open for a raise in EP and get re-raised by someone in MP or LP?

[zaxx19]

Lloyd depending on the read of the raiser....
1) If the raiser has been EXTREMELY LAG and popping with all kinds of crap from the back I might be tempted to move in.
2)A tight player that makes a substantial reraise I muck almost instantaneously.
3) If you dont have a read and just cant put them on AA,KK,QQ--- Then isnt this the proper time for a stop (check flop) and go?? defnitely checkraise-move in if you hit A or Q if only a K falls you got a big decision. Other than that check and hope too G-d he does like wise.

[cottonmather0]

Yeah, that's what he's saying. AQ is a sucker hand that's easily dominated and if you're cold calling raises with it I doubt you're making much money in the long run. How you play AQ says a lot about how you play in general. Read John Feeney's book, he even has a whole chapter on how AQ is a good indicator of your level of play.

To answer your second question, AQ plays better heads up, so if I were in EP and got re-raised with it, I would only call if the flop was going to be heads up and then I would check and fold the flop if there was neither an Ace or a Queen. If an A or Q comes, I bet and fold if I get raised.

[PokrLikeItsProse]

I'm actually one of those players who likes AQ (and JJ). After all, if I can't win with those hands, then what am I doing, just waiting for AA, KK, QQ, and AK?

My main criterion is whether or not I think I can outplay someone on the flop if we both miss. That means I don't like calling if I think there is a good chance I won't be last to act on the flop. I don't like it when I don't have a read on anyone at the table. I don't like it when my stack size makes me vulnerable to being pushed around. On the other hand, I love it when I have a big stack and feel the urge to bully the rest of the table. And it's good enough if I am short-stacked and need to push all-in with my next decent hand.

This doesn't mean that I won't play AQ out of position, but I've learned that certain situations have a better chance of success.

[Whitey]

I agree with Fnurt here.

AQ is an open raise in mid to late position if your first to act or have limpers.

if its raised in early to middle position or reraised after I have open raised I'm mucking unless i have a good read on my opponent and know he would do this with a variety of hands.I occasionaly call a raise if I have position and feel I can outplay my opponent after the flop,but in this case it's the player I'm playing and not the cards.

In UTG or UTG+1 I'm mucking unless its late on and the blinds are worth stealing.By this time you should be getting more respect for you early position raises and you might get a short stack pushing over the top with a weaker hand.

Obviously its a strong hand to defend your blinds with as well.If I hold AQ and I suspect a blind steal I will re-raise (sometimes all in depending on the player)