What should I have done?

[Vazh]

Party Poker 2/4 (10 handed)
Hero has A/images/graemlins/club.gif, J/images/graemlins/heart.gif and is MP2

Folded to me.

Hero raises, CO calls, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds

Flop(5 1/2 SB): T/images/graemlins/club.gif, 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/heart.gif

I raised PF so I continue being the aggressor.
Hero bets, CO calls

Now I think I'm in pretty good shape.
Turn(3 3/4 BB): T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Hero bets, CO raises, Hero calls
Uh oh. Oddly I don't put him on a pocket pair. My read is A with a bad kicker.

River(7 3/4 BB): Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Hero checks, CO bets, Hero calls

Who check/folds the flop or turn here?

Results in white.

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CO showed down KQ to drag the pot. My read (that I was ahead) was correct until the river. This has been happening to me quite a bit lately.
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[LetsRock]

First off, I don't tend to raise with AJo most of the time, but that's probably not really important - just a reference.

Following a PFR, I'll usually fire out on the flop regardless, unless there's a couple of raises in front of me, then I consider the situation.

No raises, well ya pretty much have to keep firing. Turn raise, it might be best to 3-bet right here and now. I'm not sure how you came to put CO on Ax, but I sure wouldn't have limited my read to that. PP is sure a valid holding. A 3-bet might scare him off his little boat. If he caps, I probably go away.

You're out of position and the river card can only hurt you. You either have to fire again (depending on what happened on the turn) or check/call or check/fold. You're really in a bind with this hand. I sure hope your read was right.

I guess this is why I don't like PFR with AJ - there tends to be a "need" to follow a PFR with power - "well I did raise, maybe he'll fold if I bet". If I don't bet out on the flop, he's gonna put me to test anyway. And I'm probably going to call, because I really don't believe he has a T now do I. Basically, you've trapped yourself.

If I limp in with this, it's real easy to let this hand go with no further investment. Maybe it's just me, but PFRs can easily commit more chips to the pot than I really want sometimes.

(I limped/capped a AJs from UTG a couple of days ago, and severely misplayed the hand, because the I got just enough of th flop to get in trouble. I miscounted my real outs and over played my hand because the others backed off to my percieved AA, but didn't go away. This isn't the basis for my reasoning in my critique, but an example of why I'm not a fan of AJ raises.)

[Stu Pidasso]

I think you played every street just fine. If I was your opponent, I would raise your ass with all sorts of hands. I suspect your beat, but occasionally you will win a showdown here.

Stu

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
First off, I don't tend to raise with AJo most of the time, but that's probably not really important - just a reference.


[/ QUOTE ]

He opened the action in middle position, raising with AJo. Its a coup for him if he is successful in stealing the blinds with this holding. I'd make this raise everytime, even in a party 2-4.

Stu

[ropey]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess this is why I don't like PFR with AJ - there tends to be a "need" to follow a PFR with power - "well I did raise, maybe he'll fold if I bet". If I don't bet out on the flop, he's gonna put me to test anyway. And I'm probably going to call, because I really don't believe he has a T now do I. Basically, you've trapped yourself.


[/ QUOTE ]
There is a ton of money to be made off of people who call a preflop raise and miss the flop...and even more money to be made off of people who will call 'just one more' bet on the flop. If a preflop raise with AJ will make the pot shorthanded (or even better headsup), then you bet, and bet, and bet...especially with a paired flop.

If you know how to pick your spots and do this successfully, you can become filthy rich without even making a hand. And heres the great thing about poker...having an AJ to make your raise feel all warm and cozy inside isn't even necessary...if you know your opponent well enough (much easier in a live game), then you can pull this off with any two cards (you don't even need to look at them).

Somewhat of a tangent there, but you absolutely must push the AJ, especially with the paired flop, and even moreso with the tripped turn...you can win a lot of money this way.

-ropey