Starting Hands at $.5/$1on PPoker

[southerndog]

I wanted to get a discussion going on what hands people think they would be saving money with at the low-limits where a lot of people are seeing the flops if they stayed away from these tempting hands..

Here are the hands I'm iffy on when and how to play them:
AQo-To
KQo
KJo
QJo

Do you think if I layed most of these down I would be saving money?

If there are a lot of callers in front, these hands suck, right?

If you are in early and raise, and still get a bunch of callers, you aren't accomplishing what you hoped to, right?
So should you even bother?

On the other hand, some of these hands are decent, and may warrant .5 to get to the flop.. OR is that terrible thinking?

I feel like if I was just playing PP's, suited connectors, and suited aces, I would be doing well.

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks,

Dog

[Nottom]

Ok lets separate these hands a bit:
Good: AQo
OK: KQo, AJo
Not so good: ATo, KJo, QJo

AQo you should be playing from any position and often for a raise. Don't call raises with it, but be willing to raise with it from pretty much anywhere except maybe from the blinds after a table full of limpers. If other people want to call your raise with QT or A3s good for them, you will make money off these mistakes as long as you don't overplay your hand post flop. If a K comes on the flop (with no A or Q), be ready to let it go for a bet on the flop unless you have some other draw to go with your hand (a gutshot to Broadway is often good enough).

KQ, AJ - these are both good hands. Don't call any raises with them, but these are good enough to see a flop with in pretty much and low-limit game. I like to raise them from anywhere outside the blinds, but a lot of people don't like to raise them from EP. If you want to be extra cautious go ahead and dump them in EP but be ready to raise with them from MP or LP as long as the pot isn't full of limpers.

AT, KJ, QJ - I think AT and KJ are considerably better than QJ but you can still pretty much play them all the same. Fold them in EP. Open raise in MP if folded to you otherwise sneak in with a limp(you might want to wait for LMP with QJ). If you are in LP against 1 or 2 weak limpers, I will raise with KJ or AT. Again NEVER** call a raise with these hands.

** when I say never, this means if you have no money in the pot yet. You should generally call a second bet after puttin in one, but should fold if its 2 back to you.

[crockpot]

i think AJo and KQo are marginally playable in most .50/1 games, but anything worse should be folded unless the pot is clearly developing to be shorthanded. even then, QJo is stretching it a little.

avoid calling raises with any of the hands you've listed, or playing them at all in an aggressive game.

[Festus22]

My $0.02:

AQo - Open limp EP if raises are getting cold called by 4+ opponents. If not, raise. Raise MP and LP if 2 or less have limped. Don't cold call a raise unless in the blinds and then be very careful post flop. No doubt JoeTall will be raising everywhere with it but we agree to disagree here. HEPFAP Loose Game section advocates limping a lot with this hand.

AJo - Open limp or fold EP. I usually open limp unless there's been a lot of PF raising. Open raise if it's folded to you MP or raise after 1 or 2 limpers LP.

ATo - Fold EP. Fold MP after a few limpers. Limp LP after a few limpers or raise if by some miracle it folds to you or only 1 has limped.

KQo - Limp everywhere unless it's folded to you MP or LP, then open raise. Maybe raise late if only one late position has limped.

KJo - I have no clue. I usually fold it EP and MP and limp LP.

QJo - Same as above though I may limp MP more often than with KJo. I probably have that backwards giving too much value to the connector but QJ just seems to play better for me.

These are VERY GENERAL guidelines. I'm sure everyone will have subtle (maybe dramatic) changes to the above but it really is impossible to define absolutes. As always, table texture is going to have a big impact. If it's cap city PF, then I'd be folding all of them (except MAYBE AQo).

[PokerNoob]

Here's how I play them:

AQo - Always raise or reraise from any position.
AJo - Fold EP, raise middle or late, call an MP raise, often fold to an EP raise
ATo - Fold EP, raise middle or late, call an MP raise, often fold to an EP raise

You are generally going to kill the squad of ace chasers with these kickers, and you can make nice TPTK.

KQo - Open limp early, open raise middle or late. Fold to an EP or even MP raise because you are likely dominated.

KJo - Limp middle or late, fold early, fold to any raise in front of you.

QJo - Limp middle or late, fold early. I might call a raise in front because you'll get a lot of action when you hit your straight.

JTo - Limp middle or late, fold early. Same here.

All these hands make nut straights.

[Joe Tall]

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No doubt JoeTall will be raising everywhere with it but we agree to disagree here.

[/ QUOTE ]

AQo I check it in the BB in family pot. I might limp on the button in family pots. I just don't like it when you'all open-limp with it in EP and, as always, I try to drive home my point.

[ QUOTE ]
KQo - Limp everywhere

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KQo (and AJo) - I puked in my mouth after this quote. Raise it after 2 limpers, open-raise with it, limp with in family pots.

[ QUOTE ]
If it's cap city PF, then I'd be folding all of them (except MAYBE AQo).

[/ QUOTE ]

Good idea, just don't cold-call with it.

Peace,
JT