AJo in a live tourny

[Shammu]

Live tournament, $115 buy-in and 100 players. Few hands into the tournament, no reads yet. I have 3,400 chips and utg with AJo. blinds are 25/50, I raised to 175 and everyone folded to the BB who thinks for a few seconds and then calls. Flop comes j 2 3 rainbow. BB checks, I bet 250, bb raises to 750. Your move.

BB has more chips than me.

[nuclear500]

I might peg him for the same hand as you, or TT or 99 thinking your bet was a continuation with AK or AQ and he wants to find out where he stands.

This is why AJo is a folding hand in EP, especially early.

I fold and wait for better cards and position.

[Shammu]

Where are you poker masters? I need some feedback.

[qbler]

I don't like the raise UTG with AJ off, but now that you're in this position what could he have? Tough to put him on something with no reads whatsoever. He could be a tricky player who slowplayed a big pair or have gotten lucky and flopped a set. On the other hand, he could be trying to buy you off the hand with garbage or have a weaker J (I'm discounting the possibility of him hitting 2 pair on that flop when he knew he'd be heads up with an UTG raiser) Hmmm...a reraise pot commits you to a hand where you have no idea where you're at and a call gives him a chance to blow you off a hand you might be winning on the turn/river. Again, I hate the situation we're in here but with no reads I'm probably pushing right back at him on this flop and going broke on TPTK. But then, I suck sometimes.

[Shammu]

Ok, does not look like I'm gonna get a lot of posts for some reason so I will proceed. When he reaised, I thought about it for a while and I could not put him on a big pair for some reason, he shoulda reraised me PF especially that he was out of position so, I just called. What do you think of this play? The turn comes another 3, so J 3 2 3, now I have top TP TK, he bets 1,000 chips, your move?

[play2win]

The hand he is representing would be an overpair.

Unless he is a very conservative player I imagine that he would be pushing PF with QQ-AA. Now on the other hand he could be playing it conservative being that it is early in the game so he may have called with QQ or JJ putting you on AQ/AK looking to see a flop then assesing.

But, on a rainbow flop, given that he check-raised you on the flop I don't think he is holding JJ. He would surely let you bet at least one more time before hammering you.

My guess is that he looked down at J10s or QJs and puts you on two overs. I doubt anyone playing in 100+ buy-in would have stayed with 22 or 33, but you never know. Also he would certianly slow down if he hit quads with the 3's. So that leaves dueces which really doesn't add up for me.

Was the 3 the same suit as any of the other cards? I think he figures you made a continuation bet on a missed flop and wanted to take it down with his J's. I think you have him beat here barring the Q's.

I would probably go broke with this. Just as a note I don't think I would ever come into a hand UTG with AJo at a full table in the early stages with no feel for how everyone is playing. I think most players would agree with me there. The only hands that are going to call or raise you are ones that probably have you beat already. /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[ghostwriter]

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, does not look like I'm gonna get a lot of posts for some reason so I will proceed. When he reaised, I thought about it for a while and I could not put him on a big pair for some reason, he shoulda reraised me PF especially that he was out of position so, I just called. What do you think of this play? The turn comes another 3, so J 3 2 3, now I have top TP TK, he bets 1,000 chips, your move?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that turn is good for you. I put him on a weaker jack and push.

[hurlyburly]

I call the turn since you called the flop. Let him toss more in. Since he wants to lead, I'd be surprised to see an overpair. KJ-QJ looks most likely to me.

[Shammu]

That's exactly what I put him on, KJ or QJ since he did not reraise me PF, and I agree that my initial raise was a mistake but it was late for me to think about that during the hand and I had to focus on the hand itself. Ok, so, I though about it for a long time and I still could not put him on a bi pair so I just called his bet. The river come 8, no fluch made at this point. He goes all in and I was commited at that point and had few chips left so I called and he showed QQ. Aside from the initial raise, was it possible for me to get away from that hand after the flop?

[play2win]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you have him beat here barring the Q's.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well.....that is just the way it goes. I don't think I would have been able to get away from it sitting at the table. Although sitting here I can reason out that he is probably holding the Q's. I think this is a good lesson for everyone as to why AJ early is such a chip drainer. /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[Shammu]

Would it have made any difference if you had raised from the button in this case? Would you have played the post flop differently?

[play2win]

If the table had folded around to me and I made the raise with the AJo (which I would in this case), I would imagine to the BB would have played his Q's different.

I imagine the BB would picture the raise as a steal and fire back right then. I wouldn't be surprised to see him move all-in if the button made the raise. Figuring he could force you off a specualted weak ace/ marginal hand with a big re-raise as well as squelching frivilous steal attempts in the future.

But if the action wen't the same and only your position changed, I probably would have ended up all-in on the flop. I would assume that he was defending a preceieved steal attempt and hit a weak TPWK. I would have come over the top of his re-raise and put the decision to him for all his chips.

He was apparently giving you UTG raise it's due credit and wanted to see if the flop contained an A or K so he could get away from his Q's without getting busted early. /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[play2win]

Funny, similar case occurred in a home game tourney style last night.

I picked up AJo UTG and considered raising it, and then I remembered my advice and figured I would be a hypocrite if I did it. I smiled and folded. Sure enough the button had QQ and the BB defended. I would have hit the J on the flop and got hurt.

I guess reasoning out hands while not involved helps out when you are on the spot. I actually took it home from being the short stack all night, only a few hundred, but I’ll take it anytime for 4 hours of play. /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[tdomeski]

I'd imagine if he checks that flop with a set he will wait until turn to put in a raise. I probably just call the flop (that should scare the hell out of KJ, QJ, JT, TT, 99). Fold turn if he pushes or does something crazy. If he just bets small I call, if he checks I check behind and value bet a harmless river (or call one of his bets).