Stars $5 + .50 Sit 'n Go -- Do I Lay Down TPTK Here?

[colgin]

Early in a $5 + .50 Stars SNG with blinds at $15/30. I have about T2100 and am in the SB when I get dealt AQo. There is one EP limper, MP (who has about T1600-1700) raises to $120, one LP caller and I call the addtional $105 and EP folds. Should I have even called here? Re-raised? MP has limped maybe twice and this is the first time he/she has raised the pot before the flop.

The flop comes Q-J-rag (rainbow). I bet something like $240 which is maybe 2/3 the size of the pot and I immediately don't like the size of my bet. MP re-raises $600 more, LP folds and it is back on me.

Should this be an easy decision with top pair top kicker? I don't feel that confident with my hand. What are reasonable hands that MP might have made these bets with given his relatively tight play up until this point? I am in trouble if he has AA-JJ. AK I am ahead but he still has 7 outs. I am really hoping that he has AQ (which only gets me a split), AJ or a medium pair. If I call here I may very well be put all in on the turn. Does that mean if I am going to play this hand I should just re-raise now. Is it incredibly weak to lay this hand down? All comments welcomed.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Fold. You've got more than enough chips to wait for a better spot. Although at this level there are a lot of players who'll make this move with a draw, he just as likely has an overpair.

Oh, yeah, don't call raises with AQo.

[ripdog]

I'm always tempted by AQ, but I think that early on and in decent chip position, I can lay this one down to what is a fairly substantial pre-flop raise. OK, you called. I can forgive that, but this flop is a potential disaster for you. You could be looking at AA or KK, but JJ seems more likely to me. I would lay it down here. Had you checked rather than bet out, the decision to fold is more difficult. That you showed strength and he came over the top tells me that he has a hand that beats TP/TK. With a limper and a caller, I'm gone before the flop--I don't want multiple opponents with AQ and I'd rather be the one applying the pressure with it anyway. I think that laying this hand down now is not a weak play. So I wouldn't have called pre-flop, I'd have bet a bit less on the flop and dumped it pretty quickly when he played back. I really hate seeing the Queen on the flop after the pre-flop action went how it did. There's a good chance that you made the second best hand here and it could cripple you. I hope things worked out OK.

[Zag]

You got the best flop you could reasonably hope for, and then you didn't know what to do. This is a sure sign that you should have folded preflop.

[Schmed]

I'm editing this because I missed the fact that he raised preflop........

The raise preflop puts him on other potential hands like KK,AA, JJ. Granted it is the 5 dollar limit and at that limit mr AK may be playing back at you for all of his chips but like others said you are probably beaten..... depending on the player you may also be looking at QJs or something as well.

[colgin]

Thank you everyone for your comments. I mucked this hand when I was re-raised on the flop. The later tight play of the middle position player in this hand reinforced my sense that I was probably beat here. It sounds like there is consensus here that I should not have called pre-flop, which is where I thought I had made my mistake. I did pause and consider whether this is where I wanted to put my money but made the bad call anyway. It seems like three factors combined to make this a bad call: 1) mediocre nature of AQo; 2) facing a sizable raise; and 3) no position. I am curious which is the biggest factor though. For example, if I had been on the button should I have still mucked pre-flop facing the MP raiser or would a call then have been justified. I might run into the same problem on that flop, but at least I wouldn't have put in any more money on the flop before I had to make my decision.

Also, assuming that MP did have either a set of Jacks or Queens, was his large re-raise a good play on his part. If he called my flop bet he might get me betting into him on the turn and river and really cripple me. On the other hand, does he have to play back at me just in case I have any of the possible straight draws that would beat his set.

Thanks again.

Colgin

[Bozeman]

2>3>1

[Al_Capone_Junior]

With a limper and a raiser I would not have even called the pre-flop raise. On the flop you are pretty sure to be beaten, so fold. next time toss that AQ and stay out of trouble tho.

al

[Ignatius]

Your best option would have been not to overcall a preflop raiser with AQ out of position. Since you did call and got the best flop (top pair with a queen) you could realistically hope for and have only 2 pot sized barrels left, you pretty much have to go for it. If you don't like this, see above ...
.
I'd rather go for a check raise here instead of betting out. Even if you're probably in trouble if you get played with either way, by going for a check-raise, at least you have some chance to get a bet (and maybe two) from a hand like AK, middle pair or a draw.

[curmudgeon]

i see a bunch of big time analysis about a bottom level tourney........ at $5 anything can be happenin......... take a breath and go for it, you have the best hand visible. Don't play for more than $5 till you get some gonads!