Cold Calling with AQo

[Redhotman]

Under what circumstances do you cold call a raise with AQo? Often at 3/6 I will see players reraise with AQo, so there is a decent chance they are raising with hands like KQ, KJ, AJ, AT.

Normally I will only call if the raise is from LP and there is one or less limper.
Assuming a normal $3/$6 game, what are your standards?

[SoCalPat]

I'm not going to say I have a fast and hard rule about AQo from every position (table texture has a lot to do with it), but I know this: I'm not folding it from the blinds, especially if the raise is from the first one in and I'll likely close the betting.

[Bob T.]

Against a loose raiser, or someone who may be stealing, I likely three bet, against a normal or tight raiser, its an easy muck.

If it would be three handed, and I am in the big blind, I would call a raise, but that really doesn't count as cold calling.

[zamora]

i also play 3/6. if i have a player pegged as solid or tight i almost always muck this hand.

however, there are quite a few players at 3/6 that has some weird raising standards, especially since nowadays (compared to a few month ago at party) alot of raised hands are getting contested shorthanded or heads-up.
if i have a note about that players low raising standards i often try to isolate him/her.

otherwise - lets say an unknown player raises and two or more player cold calls - i cold call.

peace.

[GuyOnTilt]

I will advice all players to NEVER call 2 cold with AQo.

If the player is solid or tight or in any way decent, then I'm mucking it. If the raise comes from EP from anybody muck the most maniacal of maniacs, I'm mucking it. If there's a bunch of limpers already in the pot and it's raised in MP or LP, I'm mucking it.

If it comes from LP (as you said is your exception), I'm 3-betting it. The only time you should play AQo with a raise on your right, is if you're coming in with a reraise. Otherwise, you should be folding. But folding should definitely be your default play.

From BB I would call one bet if the pot is shorthanded. Since you're playing a 1-chip/3-chip blind structure, I wouldn't call a raise from the SB unless the pot was going to be headsup or 3-way and the raise didn't come from EP.

That's just my .02

[Jezebel]

A real good rule of thumb that I use in determining whether or not to play in a raised pot:

1.NEVER PLAY A HAND THAT IS IN THE LOWER RANGE OF THE ORIGINAL RAISER'S RAISING STANDARDS FOR HIS CURRENT POSITION.
2. IF YOU ARE GOING TO PLAY 3 BET

So if UTG raises preflop and he has "normal" EP raising standards, you would throw away AQ since it is likely dominated by any hand raised by UTG. If a total rock raises from EP, then AKo might be headed to the muck(very rare, but has happened)

An open raise from middle or late position is likely to be a wider range of hands where AQ may be worth a 3 bet depending on the player.

I honestly can't think of a situation where I would cold call 2 with AQo. Either reraise or fold. AQs I might cold call 2, if the table is loose and people have been calling 2 cold regularly.

[Joshua]

Generally I don't like cold-calling so I'm in a reraise-or-fold mode with AQo. Barry Tannenbaum once mentioned that cold-calling can be correct if the raiser is a great heads-up player who has loose preflop raising standards. In this situation you may welcome an additional caller since it will be more difficult for the great heads-up player to outplay you post-flop because of protected-pot situations,etc. But I'm yet to reach a limit where this is applicable. Barry Tannenbaum plays alot higher than I've ever played though.

Another exception could be if BB is a terrible post-flop player who you really want in the pot and who will fold if you reraise but will play otherwise.

[zamora]

[ QUOTE ]
otherwise - lets say an unknown player raises and two or more player cold calls - i cold call.


[/ QUOTE ]

i looked at my stats in pt and from now on, the statement above does no longer reflect the way i play the game /images/graemlins/blush.gif

thanks all for plugging a (pretty small, but still) leak.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Under what circumstances do you cold call a raise with AQo?

Never. I will muck unless I suspect the raiser to be very loose. Then I 3-bet. I would guess the raise fold breakdown to be raise 10%, Fold 90%.

[Jezebel]

[ QUOTE ]
If there's a bunch of limpers already in the pot and it's raised in MP or LP, I'm mucking it.


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not saying this is an incorrect play, but in my opinion a little on the tight side. Many players will raise with all kinds of drawing hands in middle/late position following a bunch of limpers, so being dominated should be less of a concern. 3 betting might knock out some of the limpers and will probably buy you the button. So by 3 betting you end up with a good hand in a large pot, with position, with a "chance" of playing shorthanded. Thoughts?

[KeyserSoze]

Often at 3/6 I will see players reraise with AQo, so there is a decent chance they are raising with hands like KQ, KJ, AJ, AT.

Somewhere in the world there must be players saying, "I saw this guy Redhotman cold call with AQo, so there is a decent chance he is also cold calling with hands like KQ, KJ, AJ, and AT."