What to do with this weak Ace?

[og5]

I'm trying to loosen up preflop because my VPIP has sunk to 15% (Used to be 17% and I'm not sure what exactly I have been doing different) Should I have mucked this hand preflop or was it okay to limp? Postflop I was not sure where I was, no read on the BB so I called down hoping for a pair of kings or lower.

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
Hero calls, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, CO calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises</font>, Hero calls, CO calls.

Flop: (6.50 SB) A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero calls, CO folds.

Turn: (4.25 BB) 9/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (6.25 BB) 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 6.25 BB

[gchaos]

Fold pre-flop. UTG with A7s is not the way you want to increase your VPIP.

[college_boy]

[ QUOTE ]
Fold pre-flop. UTG with A7s is not the way you want to increase your VPIP.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mucking A7s UTG is not anywhere close to being automatic. There are quite a few 2-4 games where playing it is +EV. I do agree with the general point; that you should be less concerned with loosening up from early position and more about adding hands in late.

[cold_cash]

Bet the river.

[ArturiusX]

I think enough kings would play like this waiting for you to prove you have an ace to make a value bet ev+.

[Elbie]

I don´t know about betting the river. You You are beaten by many reasonable preflop raising hands (AK, AQ, AJ, AT, KK), but you´re ahead of KQ, KJ, QQ, JJ, TT just to give some examples.

I would be more inclined to value-bet the river if the river-card hadn´t been a diamond. BB can hold a lot of hands that beat you but be afraid of the flush.

I would have mucked this preflop

[Lmn55d]

Limping with A7s is definitely fine in nonaggressive games, especially 9 handed ones. I would raise the flop both for value and protection. If you include implied odds, button would be getting basically correct odds to call with gutshots, which aren't too unlikely. Furthermore, he will call 2 cold with a lot of hands on this board so the raise is also for value. If it were headsup I would call down as you did, but with 3rd player I think you need to raise. The river is a clear value bet.