Axo in the SB

[kidcolin]

What's your standard preflop action here? If it's folded to me, I'll raise the BB. What about against a limper? 2 limpers?

[IGMorton]

what do you mean by AXo? Most off suit aces should be folded after limpers. i think of them in 3 groups like this:

A9o, A8o are usually an open raise from MP or better for me.

A7o-A4o are definitely blind stealing hands from the button and sometimes from the cut-off.

A3o, A2o need to be played more cautiosly imho. Usually i'l steal from the button, always raise from the SB folded to me, and usually check from the button.

[kidcolin]

I'm primarily concerned with from the SB. I play my Axo pretty much the same as you from elsewhere. My question is, given the discount of coming in from the SB, do you complete with certain Axo?

[IGMorton]

Be warned my opinions are those of a guy with only about 15,000 hands of SH experience. But, i have spent many hours running poker stove analysis of heads up and 3 handed situations.

Limped to me in the SB, i complete:

after 1 limper: A9-A4
after 2 limpers: A3-A2

i don't raise at all here, even vs. 1 limper since the BB has yet to act and the limper will call leaving me no fold equity and an easilly dominated hand.

Folded to me in the SB, i raise:

tight BB: A9-A2
loose BB: A9-A4

Against the loose BB against which i presume i don't have much fold equity, i take HEPAP's advice that you should be cautios playing any hand with a duece or a trey.

Defending vs. a steal raise:

button stealing: call A9, A8
loose cut-off stealing: call A9, A8

if the cut-off is tight, i even fold those hands. i fold all the others here because i'm willing to admit i dont' have the necessary skills at reading players to see a showdown with ace high very often. i'm sure this is a bit weak, but a reasonable approach for non-experts.

[kidcolin]

This is a little off topic, but good subject none the less.

I'm generally not a huge fan of calling from the SB against a blind steal. I think it usually should be a 3-bet. You lose all fold equity with these hands if you let the big blind in cheap.