20+2, AQo with position.

Advice on all streets would be appreciated.

No-limit Texas Hold'em $20+$2

Seat 1: Orange-Blood ($1,500 in chips)
Seat 2: Lucky 33 ($1,490 in chips)
Seat 3: webthing ($1,480 in chips)
Seat 4: magic32747 ($1,500 in chips)
Seat 5: river6 ($1,500 in chips)
Seat 6: lauramarie [AD,QS] ($1,500 in chips)
Seat 7: drew420 ($1,500 in chips)
Seat 8: MaizeRage12 ($1,500 in chips)
Seat 9: codeman x ($1,530 in chips)
Seat 10: chucklequack ($1,500 in chips)

ANTES/BLINDS
webthing posts blind ($10), magic32747 posts blind ($20).

PRE-FLOP
river6 bets $80, lauramarie calls $80, drew420 folds, MaizeRage12 folds, codeman x folds, chucklequack folds, Orange-Blood folds, Lucky 33 folds, webthing folds, magic32747 folds.

FLOP [board cards 10C,KH,AC ]
river6 bets $200, lauramarie calls $200.

TURN [board cards 10C,KH,AC,2S ]
river6 bets $600, lauramarie ?

SHOWDOWN
river6 wins $1,190.

Here was my thinking:

Preflop: I was in early position with a raise already in front of me. I thought about folding with so many players behind me. But I thought I could afford the risk.

Flop: I think that his bet looks like a value / protection bet. I don't put him on the straight, but I could see two pair or even a set. I was hoping the call would slow him down if he didn't have an ace.

Turn: He bets the pot again. I put him on two pair or trips. Since he's more or less pot committed.

[bluefeet]

I like how "lauramarie" got to see the flop without participating in PF activities /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Ok, let's see...EP, AQo, deep-stacked, cold-calling isn't absolutely horrible. More so because of a donk-reraise behind than the OR, would I be just as inclined to fold.

The flop was a mixed bag for you obviously. An UTG 4x'd PF hand could fit quite nicely here - at best leaving you with seriously doubting you're ahead. With or without the other "scarey" cards, you had to come into this hand with the hopes of hitting "Q"-high, or an "A". Where with a "Q"-high, we could play pretty aggressively...an "A" on board presents a bigger challenge.

Given the opportunity, I would have been looking to raise a c/b lead. Villian did not provide this opportunity. He bet the full pot - much as we would expect him to do with a hand that beats us, as both a flush and straight are on board. If he 1/2 pot'd it...maybe take a stab raising, fold to a reraise, etc. Our calling this flop bet with no plan for the turn other than "I really hope he quits betting darn it", is not a line I would want to take. For even if he does "slow down", we're facing a fairly stiff bet again on the turn -- WAY more pricey to try a move here. Short of calling this thing down to showdown behind, or him passing along the way - I just don't see a cost justified way to proceed.

We gambled PF, hit the ball well...hooked outside of the foul-pole, no biggie. Fold to the flop lead.

[durron597]

The way I see it, you really have two options here:

1) Fold preflop. In EP with so many people to act behind you this is not unreasonable.
2) Since you didn't, I think I actually like a miniraise on the flop. It's a good portion of your stack but you aren't behind all the time here. He may have two pair but most of the time people don't lead for the full pot with 2 pair. At the very least a minraise will either slow him down or get a flop push which you can safely fold to. If he calls the minraise you will probably get to see a free river to hit your gutshot and may also likely get a cheap showdown too.

But this whole situation could be avoided by not not calling an unknown UTG raiser with AQo with so many to act behind you.

[kyro]

Occasionally I can find a fold PF with something like this. It's going to suck if it's repopped behind you.

And you're kuh-RAYZAY if you think people at the $22s won't pull this with AJ/A9 and the like. I'm looking to stack him here.

[kurto]

I usually post the cash tables but, I play a lot of SNGs on Pokerstars.

I just wanted to disagree with "And you're kuh-RAYZAY if you think people at the $22s won't pull this with AJ/A9 and the like." Though there are plenty of LAGs/idiots, I wouldn't say I regularly see people raising 4xbb UTG with A9 or AJ.

For the first couple of rounds until you see how the table is playing, I don't see much purpose in losing half or all your stack with TP 2nd best kicker on an AK board.

I have no problem folding AQ on the first rotation from an UTG raiser (who I have no read on yet)... Gap theory. I'd rathar open the raise with this hand then call one.

[kyro]

Thinking about it more, the deeper stacks at PS make it a bit more tricky than I wanted to make it. Still, I think many players will make it 80 with AJ or A9 here. You probably have a much better read on it than I do though.

[kurto]

I only play tourny's at Stars (Cash at Party/tournaments at Stars) so I don't know if the play varies greatly but...

At Pokerstars, I find more often then not in the first rounds, a heck of a lot of limping. I take a lot of player notes so I definitely would note a player who would do that. I have to say its pretty rare to see someone raising that high with a mediocre ace hand under the gun. Don't get me wrong, the players are terrible, but they're generally calling with hands they should fold in EP rathar then raising with weak hands in EP.

Furthermore, I still think what that player is likely to have really isn't the point. I'm a firm believer in the importance of information. There's not reason for anyone to get most of their stack in with TP-2nd kicker in the first round of a tourny with no read. Especially with such deep stacks.

Frankly, I think 90% of the time the hero loses a lot on this hand. He's basically gambling and the gamble is... is the PFR a complete donk?

If you give the PFR an ounce of sense, the fact that he raised PF into a full field and keeps betting into a caller despite the board; this is how AK/AA/KK would act.

If the PFR has a weak ace, one would learn that quick enough and use the info against him next time.