Limping with AJo

[davidross]

I have almost always raised first in with AJo. In the LL online games I play there were always enough people who will call with any A and pay me off.

Lately I have noticed a general tightening up in these games and EP raises win the blinds much more frequently, but are rarely cold called by a hand that AJ dominates, and are frequently 3 bet. Now I love stealing the blinds with AJ, but it doesn't seem to make up for th etimes you get 3 bet or raised post flop.

The adjustment I'm experimenting with is to limp with AJo first in in EP. I'm finding that Ax will call much more often and pay you off if the A flops. Maybe teh correct adjustment is to stop playing AJ in EP (that's what I've done with ATo), but I'm curious what others do with AJo?

[Joe Tall]

If the game is tight-aggressive, as in, there are frequent 3-bets, folding AJo may be the better option.

However, in a typical LL loose-passive preflop game raising it is the better option.

Peace,
JT

[Mangatang]

I posted a survey a while back asking what people do with AJo in EP at a loose/passive table. The majority voted on limping. I posted it because HPFAP also recommended limping in this situation, but my first instinct was to raise.

I now raise with AQo, limp with AJo, and fold ATo (in EP at a loose/passive full table).

[Munga30]

"Now I love stealing the blinds with AJ, but it doesn't seem to make up for th etimes you get 3 bet or raised post flop."

I think you need to parse those two reasons and look at them individually.

"I love stealing the blinds with AJ, but it doesn't seem to make up for the times I get three bet [before the flop]"

If your opponents realize you have lowered your open raising standards and are taking shots at you with not just better hands but similar hands, you have to readjust by tightening up. Then, the next time they three bet, you can punish them for trying to exploit you.

"I love stealing the blinds with AJ, but it doesn't seem to make up for the times I get raised postflop"

This seems to depend more on your post flop play (betting more flops than you should?) rather than your decision to raise AJ preflop.

[Robk]

[ QUOTE ]
I posted it because HPFAP also recommended limping in this situation

[/ QUOTE ]

HPFAP actually says "you should probably fold." (162) It's one of the few things in the book I disagree with.

[slavic]

David-

AJo EP or UTG has now become a limp or fold for me. I'll limp it on a passive table, and if I'm raised I figure my hand is hurting something awfull. On a more aggressive table I've just started mucking it.

So now my Big aces tend to look like

AKo EP Raise or Reraise
AQo EP Raise or Fold (no cold calling unless I know the player real well, and then it's a reraise)
AJo EP Limp or fold
ATo EP I'm pretty much folding it.

[J.R.]

My default is to limp, I fold if its gets real aggressive and raise if there are a couple bad players who will call 2 cold.

[JTrout]

I too like to limp w/ AJ often (but not always). It lets in all the people who play any Ace, and also the J9,JT,QJ,KJ is in trouble. And just as importantly for me, I can let go of it easier if I don't hit the flop. I tend to get tied to the pot often when I'm the pre-flop raiser. This is something I need to improve, of course.
-
As an example, what do you do if: you open raise from mid-position(w/AJo). Late-position cold calls. BB calls. Three of you see the flop of Q 8 5 rainbow. BB checks. Do you check or bet here? Does it change if there are 3 opponents instead of 2? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[AmericanAirlines]

You have to tell me... how did you pick "The SS Forum Nazi"?

:-)

Sincerely,
AA

[Homer]

There are some really long posts in the archives on this topic.

-- Homer

[MaxPower]

Good question David,

For a long time I was raising with AJ in early position, but looking at pokertracker I realized that it wasn't working very well. It could be chance, but this was one of the few EP hands that were losing money (although not a lot).

I know Sklansky recommends folding it in a tough game. Party games aren't tough but they are not exactly loose passive.

Lately, I started to limp when there is not much pre-flop raising and folding when there is.

[rkiray]

Hi David,

Glad to see you back in this forum. In March I participated in an S&M hand review session at TruePoker. AJo was the hand they commented the most on (closely followed by KQ). They were very clear that you should usually limp with it, unless the game is very tight. An occasional raise to vary your play is fine.

[Joe Tall]

[ QUOTE ]
You have to tell me... how did you pick "The SS Forum Nazi"?


[/ QUOTE ]

You'll have to read the the post titled, 'A real hand from a real poker game'.

However, you should PM me such a post so that you don't take away from the poker content, thank you.