Help please! Don't Want to Chase, But? AJ in multiway pot

[RickA]

I have been having a lot of trouble making tough folds. I am down about 250 BB in the last 3 weeks and it can't be all cold cards.

GC .5/1 Loose/ typical table for .5/1. I just started playing 2 tables so I don't have great reads on the players.
I'm dealt AJo in MP2
UTG limps, MP1 limps, I raise, LP1 cold calls, folded to SB who 3 bets, everyone calls. 5 to see the flop
Flop Jc 2d 5c
SB ch, utg bets, MP1 calls, I raise, LP1 folds, sb raises everyone calls.
12bb
TUrn Qs checked to me, I bet, everyone calls,
16 bb
River 2h (Jc 2d 5c Qs)

Now, I know majorkong suggeted not posting the results but I don't want to become weak because I am down so much lately. All I'll say is after viewing the hand history I was not behind before the flop
Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks
RIckA

[Gravy (Gravy Smoothie)]

Value bet the river.

[Trix]

I wouldnt raise preflop after 2 limpers in the games I play in. Either limp or fold.
What was the river action ?

[RickA]

Sorry I erroneously hit post before i edited. The river was checked through.
The reason I raised was to try to take control of the pot. It was a passive table and I figured if any broadway(I think this is the right term for face cards?) cards hit I could push some people off the pot. i didn't respect the re raise at all which turned out to be a good read on my part.

RIckA

[Ed Miller]

Ok... let's look at this hand logically.

Two limps to you, so you raise. Good. Dude calls and SB 3-bets and everyone calls. Fine. You don't like your hand against an SB 3-bet, but what can you do now?

So the pot is big. You flop top pair of jacks on a nothing board. Remember, the pot is big. You are COMMITTED to this hand. Even if you are "chasing," the pot is big and you likely have five outs.

You played fine from beginning to end. In fact, if you did not respect the play of the SB, given this action, I would have assumed that I had the best hand and bet the river.

Generally speaking, when the pot is big, you plan to go to showdown with top pair, ace kicker. You aren't losing because you can't make "tough folds."

[Trix]

Major Kong
If he expects 3-4+ opponents even if he raises PF (2limpers+blind(s)+maybe a coldcaller.) isnt it better to just call to leave the pot beeing small when playing a hand that doesnt play well multiway and therefore having your opponents who dont consider its size making more mistakes. Also he saves money when he doesnt hit.
I guess its table depending, but I´ve started doing this alot. Even with AQo from EP sometimes.

[Ed Miller]

There are strategic advantages to raising. You are more likely to act last after the flop, and you may get the blinds to fold. If you were sure that you'd get two cold-callers and the blinds would call, then limping might be better. But in most cases, you just don't know that.

I think you have a preflop edge with AJo in that spot, and you can buy the button and fold the blinds. I'd raise unless the game was very loose and aggressive.

[SpiderMnkE]

Why are we raising AJ in early position.. or at all. You have two limpers, so I guess if you want it to be just you and them this could be the right move. But now you get a cold caller and a 3 bet. Exactly the situation you don't want with AJ in early position.

If there are people left to act behind you I think AJ is THE limping ace. You don't want to knock out the weaker aces. Although it plays bad in multiway pots.. I guess you just have to hope that a lot of people don't limp in.

This is why it is bad from EP period. You can't really raise it.. and you have no idea how many people are in the pot. You don't want a lot, but there is no good way for you to limit the field.

Does anyone fold AJ in EP. I still haven't gotten that strong, but there does seem to be a lot of problems with it in this spot.

[Trix]

Sometimes I fold it, sometimes I dont.

[RickA]

Thnks for all the feedback. UTG had 2c 4c for a set. SB 44. MP1 Q 10. UTG had odds after the flop but how can you ever trust that you are beat with the other two making plays like that?

[Nate tha' Great]

Dude I'd definitely raise with that hand in that spot. You're correct that AJo is a tough hand to play in multiway pots. That's exactly why you want to raise in MP after a couple of limpers - you want to limit the field. OTOH, if I'm on the *Button* and there are several limpers, I don't want to raise with AJo, AQo, etc., because I no longer have so much capacity to limit the field, and I don't want to create a raised pot that will give people incentive to stick around with redraws on the turn and river.

[ QUOTE ]

If there are people left to act behind you I think AJ is THE limping ace. You don't want to knock out the weaker aces.

[/ QUOTE ]

I suppose, but you *would* like to fold people if they have K's and Q's in their hands. And even Ax hands can be problematic if people hit their x.