Newbie with AQo

[Rico Suave]

Yes, another newbie looking for some feed back. I am sure all are tired of the flood of new people on the forum, but I thought maybe you guys could squeeze in one more. Anyway, this is a great forum and I am impressed with everyones willingness to help out the "poker challenged" (me).

I have been running pretty bad for the last 10 days or so, so I am beginning to think I am running bad because I am not playing correctly. So here it goes:

Party $1-2, and I get Ac, Qs in the CO. God I hate AQo.

MP open limps, LMP calls, I call (I know I should raise, and I used to raise in this position 80% of the time, but AQo has been killing me lately, and so I call--flame away), button calls, and the blinds come along for the ride ---6 to the flop for 6SB

Flop 3h, 6s, Qc

Nice, I plan on popping it. SB bets, BB folds, MP calls, LMP raises--I take pause and rethink. Uncoordinated flop, unlikely draw, so he has a hand, either strong queen, or 2 pair, maybe a set,--I wimp out and called---YUK! Button cold calls, sb folds, and MP calls.---4 to the turn for 7.5 BB

Turn 6h [3h, 6s, Qc]

MP checks, LMP bets, and I raise -- I thought that the 6 either counterfeited his 2 pair, or made me a huge dog. I decide the pot is big enough to raise, hope to knock out as many as possible with the intention of folding to a reraise. Button and MP cold call (wow), LMP just calls. 4 to the river for 15.5 big bets.

River 3s [6h, 3h, 6s, Qc]

Checked to me, I bet (I think this is a lousy bet I should have checked). Button folds, and both MP and LMP call.

Thanks in advance for your input

Rico

[lil']

I am sure all are tired of the flood of new people on the forum, but I thought maybe you guys could squeeze in one more.
Hey, everyone was new at some point.

God I hate AQo.
Why? It's a good hand. Perhaps you're misplaying it.

MP open limps, LMP calls, I call (I know I should raise, and I used to raise in this position 80% of the time, but AQo has been killing me lately, and so I call--flame away),
Why yes, you are misplaying it! As a general rule, you can raise A-Q if nodoby else has raised yet. There are exceptions of course. If there is already a raise, that's a different story, but in this case you may have the best hand.

On the flop, you should 3-bet. Your opponents have no idea how strong your hand is since you didn't raise pre-flop. You have a good but vulnerable hand that needs to be protected.

Since you didn't raise the flop, I like the turn raise.
I think I might check and call the river.

edit - I changed my mind. I think the river bet is ok.

[Sarge85]

AQ is a favorable hand, and I'm generally happy to see it. That being said:

PF: I'd raise PF behind two limpers in this game with AQ, often you are going to be ahead.

Flop: The flop hit you but you didn't re-raise? - You mentioned two pair, but that would mean he came in on either Q-6 or Q-3 or 3-6, seems unlikely (though people like to play suited cards regardless so certainly possible) People like connectors too 4-5 wouldn't be out of the realm of possiblity. Of course the other possiblity is they hit a set of 3's or 6's (I would suspect QQ would have raised PF) But you could be up agaist KQ, QJ, QT or a variety of other Queens not as strong as yours. 3 Bet for info.

Turn - Nice

River - Nice

my guess is you took down this pot.

Sarge /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

[Rico Suave]

Quote AQ is a favorable hand, and I'm generally happy to see it.

I usually am as well. It is just that lately I have been getting creamed with AQ (even AK & AJ for that matter), even when I hit the flop hard.
It seems funny that when I hit a bad stretch as I have as of late, I tend to become weaker in my play, which will most assuredly contribute to my "bad run"--I gotta watch out for that cycle.

quote You mentioned two pair, but that would mean he came in on either Q-6 or Q-3 or 3-6, seems unlikely (though people like to play suited cards regardless so certainly possible)

Exactly. It is my experience at the party 1/2 level that there are not that many horrendous players who play every hand (although I still run into them on occassion)but there are tons of people who will see the flop 30% to 45% of the time, mostly because they love any suited cards. So it is not far fetched at all, IMHO, that someone is staying with Q6s, Q3s, or 36s. My TPTK has gotten run down many a time by these types of hands.

I am sure as one goes up in limits, putting people on these types of hands becomes more unreasonable.

Thanks for the input.

Rico

[chesspain]

Regardless of whether or not you won this hand, do your realize how you decreased your chances of winning this pot by playing so passively both PF and on the flop. By allowing the blinds to come along cheaply, and then allowing everying see the turn for only one SB, you greatly increased the chance that a 3 or a 6 could have nailed you.

Indeed, you NEED to bet up AQ preflop--not only get money into the pot when you may well have the best hand to start, but to knock out the crappy hands that could beat you with lucky draws!