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View Full Version : I suck with AJo, PP 100NL 6max


meow_meow
02-21-2005, 05:37 PM
Over my first 35K hands:
AJo: 348 times, $-1050 net, pfr 59%, wtsd 37%, w$sd 37.5%
now that is some serious suckage.

Had to do something, so I tighten up and over my last 10K hands:
AJo: 83 times, $-55 net, pfr 29%, wtsd 21%, w$sd 57%
Ok, sample size too small, but I think I'm losing less here, yeah!

Here is the thing, with AJo (and AQo as well), I feel like a sitting duck. I can't count the times I hit TPTK (or TPGK if an ace hits), and make a reasonable bet on the flop (pot if no prf, 1/2 pot otherwise), and get raised or check-raised. I guess the changes I'm made in playing AJo involve being a wuss - less raising preflop, never out of the blinds, which allows to to let it go when I don't catch, and folding much more often when I do catch top pair and get played back at.

What am I missing?

BobboFitos
02-21-2005, 05:53 PM
Ajo is a great hand because it's so easy not to mess up. I find AQo and AQs so much more difficult to play because it's not clear cut. The answers here are different if shorthanded, but I've been playing lots of 9 handed lately, so here goes: (BTW, there is no formulaic science to playing NLH, but here is a general guideline tha should improve your numbers, so take this for whatever it means. Also, I've been playing 100xBB stacks, but it should work for 50x bb too)

PrefloP:
AJo from Ep i'll limp first three spots. If anyone raises behind me easy fold, even if they're a lag raising 10% of hands, I *still* dont like AJo vs that hand range.
From MP I'm still mucking to a raise, and raising if I'm firt in, limping if there are limpers who dont like to limp/fold, raising if they do.
From button I'll raise if folded to m,e obv, and STILL fold to a raise. Easy, huh?
From the blinds I fold to a raise, too! obv if I'm sb I'll attack BB if folded to me. Only time I'll consider calling a raise is if button is a guy who likes to button steal in a cash game, so Ajo might have him dominated, and not vica versa. And then I'd call.

Note: Any time I limp I'm not calling a raise unless it's a dinky pot building min raise.

Flop:
If I limped in behind people or from early position I'm check folding unless I flop a pair. (Or like 3 clubs and I have Ac, then thats a little different) AJo was ment for small pots and if you dont pair up, it's likely your overcards aren't live, and if they are, you will only make TP decent K, so why draw to it.

If I pair it's a pump-or-dump situation. Unless it's a clear cut ahead or behind scenario, (like BB leads into me on a A 8 2 r board) I prefer raising or folding; ex. J 8 3 w/ 2 clubs I'm def betting this, as overcards / clubs / possible straight cards all could fall hurting my hand. If someone leads at me in a limped pot I'll raise,too.

Anyways,on the turn, I generally relax, I love checking behind on the turn with lots of made hands though even when I think opponents are drawing in order to get them to bluff money /etc. All depends.

River should be fairly simple...

Key messageis AJo is a small pot hand. It's not a hand to break people with. Perhaps from your sample size you just took a few big hits? Post some hands. AJo is definately a profitable hand, albeit marginal.