Overplayed AQ?

[BlackAces]

Early in a 20+2 SNG on Stars. No read on anyone yet.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP2 (t1960)
MP3 (t1410)
CO (t1545)
Button (t1475)
SB (t1520)
Hero (t1450)
UTG (t1560)
UTG+1 (t1850)
MP1 (t730)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises to t90</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t300</font>, CO calls t210.

Flop: (t615) 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t420</font>, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises to t840</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t1150</font>, CO calls t310.

Turn: (t2915) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

River: (t2915) K/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

Final Pot: t2915

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
Hero has Ac Qs (two pair, aces and fives).
CO has Ad Kd (two pair, aces and kings).
Outcome: CO wins t2915. </font>

Preflop, I'm happy with how I played it -- I didn't want to call out of position, and AQ could be ahead of a lot of hands CO would open-raise with. On the flop, I was either way ahead or way behind...but the only hand I was way behind was AK (discounting aces, since I can see two of them and he likely would have reraised preflop).

Did I overplay the AQ, or am I just overthinking things here?

[AtticusFinch]

I wouldn't have reraised preflop. At this low level straight-up steals are less common, so chances are you'll be called, and you're out of position with a good but not great hand. If you don't reraise, the pot is a lot smaller, and you have a better shot at being able to find out where you are on the flop without pot-committing yourself.

[sandrew]

The reraise i think was a mistake. You should have just called the raise. And tried to figure out what would he have raised with.. That size of raise (3BB) i would have thought AA, KK, AK, QQ, JJ , TT. All wich have me beat. So the only two choices would be to call or fold. With AQ the value of the hand goes down AQs is a good value hand early in the tournament i would have leaned 60% to folding. Not reraising 10BB, especally out of position.

After the flop you are in OK shape.. After your probing bet and he raises that would have been a red flag. You bet a good amount and he came way over the top.. I would have called here if anything.. Your reraising his reraise. He obviously has you beat with either a set or a AK. Again the reraise is bad. you have been shown he has a strong hand. Since A5 or A6 are out of the question that leaves you with AK, AA, or 55, 66.

Personally i would think hard about folding after he reises on the flop wondering if AQ is really the best hand and knowing my tournament life is at stake.

That is just my 2 cents.

[The Yugoslavian]

[ QUOTE ]

Preflop, I'm happy with how I played it


[/ QUOTE ]

You are?! You shouldn't be. AQ isn't nearly strong enough to be reraising so big preflop early on.

[ QUOTE ]

-- I didn't want to call out of position,


[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but you don't have to call or raise - you can fold. This is one of many reasons why you can fold here.

[ QUOTE ]
and AQ could be ahead of a lot of hands CO would open-raise with.


[/ QUOTE ]

Or behind a lot.

[ QUOTE ]

On the flop, I was either way ahead or way behind...but the only hand I was way behind was AK (discounting aces, since I can see two of them and he likely would have reraised preflop).


[/ QUOTE ]

You could have been moderately ahead as well. Villian could have a flush draw. I agree that this is unlikely however.

I also don't like the way you played AQ post flop. You're betting big enough to chase some of the weaker Ax hands out while guaranteeing that you'll lose your whole stack if up against AK.

[ QUOTE ]

Did I overplay the AQ, or am I just overthinking things here?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, you overplayed it. Continue to think about how to play AQ early on in SNGs. I know I don't play it optimally myself and continue to think about the correct ways to play it postflop.

Yugoslav

[Irieguy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Preflop, I'm happy with how I played it


[/ QUOTE ]

You are?! You shouldn't be. AQ isn't nearly strong enough to be reraising so big preflop early on.

[ QUOTE ]

-- I didn't want to call out of position,


[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but you don't have to call or raise - you can fold. This is one of many reasons why you can fold here.

[ QUOTE ]
and AQ could be ahead of a lot of hands CO would open-raise with.


[/ QUOTE ]

Or behind a lot.

[ QUOTE ]

On the flop, I was either way ahead or way behind...but the only hand I was way behind was AK (discounting aces, since I can see two of them and he likely would have reraised preflop).


[/ QUOTE ]

You could have been moderately ahead as well. Villian could have a flush draw. I agree that this is unlikely however.

I also don't like the way you played AQ post flop. You're betting big enough to chase some of the weaker Ax hands out while guaranteeing that you'll lose your whole stack if up against AK.

[ QUOTE ]

Did I overplay the AQ, or am I just overthinking things here?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, you overplayed it. Continue to think about how to play AQ early on in SNGs. I know I don't play it optimally myself and continue to think about the correct ways to play it postflop.

Yugoslav

[/ QUOTE ]

Bravo.

Irieguy

[curtains]

I personally will never fold here preflop in this particular tournament structure. I'll generally call. On PartyPoker Im more likely to fold.

[RobGW]

I think your post flop play indicates that you should have folded this preflop. If you can't get away from AQ on an A high flop then you should just fold to the raise to keep yourself out of trouble. There is no sense taking chances early on. What did you think he was raising with on the flop? I think the answer to your question is yes, you overplayed it preflop and on the flop.

[zaphod]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Preflop, I'm happy with how I played it


[/ QUOTE ]

You are?! You shouldn't be. AQ isn't nearly strong enough to be reraising so big preflop early on.

[ QUOTE ]

-- I didn't want to call out of position,


[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but you don't have to call or raise - you can fold. This is one of many reasons why you can fold here.

[ QUOTE ]
and AQ could be ahead of a lot of hands CO would open-raise with.


[/ QUOTE ]

Or behind a lot.

[ QUOTE ]

On the flop, I was either way ahead or way behind...but the only hand I was way behind was AK (discounting aces, since I can see two of them and he likely would have reraised preflop).


[/ QUOTE ]

You could have been moderately ahead as well. Villian could have a flush draw. I agree that this is unlikely however.

I also don't like the way you played AQ post flop. You're betting big enough to chase some of the weaker Ax hands out while guaranteeing that you'll lose your whole stack if up against AK.

[ QUOTE ]

Did I overplay the AQ, or am I just overthinking things here?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, you overplayed it. Continue to think about how to play AQ early on in SNGs. I know I don't play it optimally myself and continue to think about the correct ways to play it postflop.

Yugoslav

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with you that folding is the best option preflop. But once you see the flop, i think it is hard to get away from the hand. After all you have invested quite a bit of your stack already. What is your prefered postflop play?

[BlackAces]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I let all the people that I had seen recently, who would think nothing of open raising with something like AT and then pushing it even in the face of resistance, cloud my judgment. I do think that overtightening the range of hands CO could be raising with is a problem, though...if you were in the CO, would you restrict yourself to open-raising 3-4x with AA-TT and AK?

I think a better play would have been a flat call, followed by a checkraise on the flop to see if my ace was best. If he calls or reraises, I'm done with it.

[The Yugoslavian]

[ QUOTE ]

I agree with you that folding is the best option preflop. But once you see the flop, i think it is hard to get away from the hand. After all you have invested quite a bit of your stack already. What is your prefered postflop play?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I play on Party so the bigger stacks, slower blinds and such will dictate a different brand of postflop play. On Party I likely would check/call or check/fold depending on the betting pattern of my opponent. On stars you have more room to maneuver without just pushing all of your chips. It's going to be tricky nonetheless b/c your first to act here (why letting your opponent have the betting impetus isn't necessarily a bad idea since it can hopefully help define his hand). After betting a very sizable amount and then being raised so big by the OP, I'd probably figure I'm up against AK and fold.

But, my postflop advice is suspect so take it with some of those big granular grains of salt. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Yugoslav

[The Yugoslavian]

[ QUOTE ]

I think a better play would have been a flat call, followed by a checkraise on the flop to see if my ace was best. If he calls or reraises, I'm done with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like this line much better than what was actually played.

Originally I didn't notice it was Pokerstars. This makes a significant difference in how one would play in this situation but I'd imagine I fold preflop anyway.

Yugoslav