AQ, level 1 in a 100+9

[TT_fold]

After this flop action, what is your turn play? Note: this is the second hand of the tournament, so no reads.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

BB (t1000)
UTG (t970)
UTG+1 (t520)
UTG+2 (t1000)
Hero (t1000)
MP2 (t1000)
MP3 (t1000)
CO (t1000)
Button (t1540)
SB (t970)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls t15, UTG+2 calls t15, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t75</font>, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, Button calls t75, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, UTG+1 calls t60, UTG+2 calls t60.

Flop: (t322.50) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
UTG+1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+2 bets t50</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t300</font>, Button calls t300, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 calls t250.

My plan was to push any non-heart turn, and check-fold if a heart dropped. Results later...

[spentrent]

Man I HATE being out of position with TPTK and 2 villains calling off so much of their stacks. I think it's either push or check/fold the turn. And I lean toward check/fold.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I did indeed mean check/fold whether there's a heart or not. Do you guys think this is a weak line?

[willperkins]

I do not play at this high of levels, so I may be way off base. If so, I apologize.

Preflop:

I fold. I would not play A /images/graemlins/club.gifQ /images/graemlins/diamond.giffrom MP with two limpers already in the pot during the first level.

Flop:

This is the reason why I don't play this hand. Now I have TPTK and someone betting into me with two behind me to act.

I would have made the same bet as you to see where I was at.

[TT_fold]

The level is irrelevant IMO - your advice is pretty sound. This is about as loose as I get in level 1. I used to get in trouble by playing hands like KQ upfront early. My current strategy is essentially to limp 22-99 for set value, and raise TT-AA + AK.

However, I'm trying to open up a bit more by raising AQo and KQs in mid-late position if no one else has raised.

In the actual hand, an offsuit 8 fell on the turn and the first player checked to me. What's my play?

[TT_fold]

Well, I ended up pushing the turn, Button called, UTG+2 folded. Button turned over A/images/graemlins/heart.gifT/images/graemlins/heart.gif, river brought no help and MHIG.

[Pokerscott]

You played it perfectly preflop imho.

Post flop you almost certainly have the best hand. Your raise preflop was enough to drive out the low pairs (and hopefully QJ) so I wouldn't worry about a set at this point (maybe second caller could have low pocket). That leaves KK AA to worry about. No way does KK smooth call preflop (too worried about an A and with 2 players KK is too exposed). AA might smooth call, but since you have an A, that is very unlikely.

So you got the best hand post flop. Bet it to make the draws have to make bad calls in order to see their draws. IMO you over bet the turn if you went all in, but he called so good bet /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Pokerscott

[adanthar]

The PF raise is fine some of the time.

However, once the button calls two bets I shut down completely. You got lucky he was a tool because next time you're drawing to 3 outs. In fact I would check/fold to anything big on the turn.

[ChrisV]

I don't like raising preflop because you end up in situations like this where you have to play for your stack on the turn.

However, now we're here, I'd push.

[curtains]

Ouch...so ugly. I prefer to just call with AQo preflop in this situation. Of course raising is not terrible, as your hand has good chances of being the best right now, but it can be annoying to go to war with this hand if you get many callers. And with 2 players already in the hand, I'd say you probably won't win this pot with your preflop raise.
The flop is decent for your hand, and you have to raise the weak 50 chip bet. Once you get 2 callers, you have every right to be scared, however there are lots of bozos and I agree that if the turn card is harmless, I would just push all my chips in and pray.
This is the kind of thing that's very difficult when you raise preflop and flop top pair with AQo.