NLHE Tourny AQ Small Blind

[Hubble]

Playing in 116person NLHE Tourny with $150 entry $100 conditional rebuys and $100 Add on. It is about 5 minutes before the break and I am chip leader at my table about T5300. I am in the small blind with AQ off suit and it is limped around with 4 players in so far. This was unusually high as most flops were 2 way and probably only seen a flop about half of the time. I limped also (Is this a mistake). The big blind checks. Flop is Qc 4d 2d. (I have the Qd) What is the best course of action. THNX

[Hubble]

The Blinds were 100-200 so resulted in T1200 pot preflop. (sorry)

[cferejohn]

Hmm, that's not a great place to be in. In terms of the pre-flop play, I think there are too many limpers to justify a raise, since you'd need to make a very large one and you would stand a good chance of getting called by any decent pair, which means you'd be putting in a lot of your chips as an underdog (albeit a slight one).

Once this flop comes, I think you need to take a shot with a pot sized bet. It will look like a strong hand (as it is) because you are first to bet. You want flush draws to be making a mistake to call you. Ideally, you'd like everyone to fold.

If someone comes over the top, I couldn't really give a direct answer without knowing the opponent and his stack size. Against an opponent who likes to bluff with outs on a smallish stack, its an easy call. Against an opponent who only puts all his chips in as a favorite (presumably a set in this case) who has a large stack, its an easy fold. In between you have lovely lovely gray area.

If someone calls, you are in a pretty similar situation. If its a small stack, I'd go ahead and put them all in the turn no matter what came. If its a larger one, I'd check and again have to put my opponent on a hand if they went all in.

Not a very concrete answer I know, but it it a pretty sticky situation.

[sam h]

It sounds like this was a pretty tame, tight tournament. If that was the case, I think making a big move before the flop is probably best in that 1) It seems less likely that anyone limped a big pair or AK (and you're really mostly worried about the first limper here) and 2) Middle pairs will be more apt to fold rather than risking going broke, even if it was a rebuy situation.

Given the way the table was playing, it seems unlikely that you are up against QQ, KK, AA or AK. While you are a slight dog to lower pairs, the dead money makes you positive EV in a showdown. Add in the relatively good chance that everybody will fold and you will pick up T1100 uncontested and I think making a big raise - probably allin but I don't know the other stacks - has substantial EV.

On the flop I would make a bet of at least pot size.