Too aggressive in home games?

[fishhead]

I think I botched a few home tourney last night and would appreciate some help from you guys.

Game setup: 100 chips to start with blinds accelerating at PartyPoker rates. Top 3 paid out of 9 players. Mostly loose, passive players with varying holdem experience.

Scenario 1:
4 players, blinds at 10/20. I just took a bad beat and am down to roughly T120. Two other players are shortstacked with T200 and T150. Big stack (usually very aggressive who likes to play sheriff and knock others out) limps in the CO . I'm on the button with KQs and push. Big stack calls with A2o and I get knocked out. Was this too aggressive? Or should I have waited for the other passive shortstacks to knock themselves out?

Scenario 2:
4 players, blinds again at 10/20. I'm shortstacked again after screwing up a JJ play and have ~T100. Dealer accidentally flashed an Ace when dealing which we threw as a burn card. I get dealt ATs on the button with only the blinds in. I pushed. Was I being an idiot to push when one of my aces was gone or was this a decent steal play? As it turned out, SB called with AQo and knocks me out on the bubble again.

Unrelated question:
My biggest leak is from the BB. For example, after completing with a full table of limpers with K8 and a K falls, what's the correct play early in the game? I usually bet, get reraised and end up folding, which costs me a bunch of chips.

Thanks!

[fishhead]

[Jason Strasser]

Scenario 1:
This is not a horrible play, but you should listen to yourself. Do you really want to get called? If he's lose passive like you've described, then he could be limping with pocket deuces, a weak ace, or even a suited connecter lower than yours. Still--do you want a call? Unless he has KJ, or some dominated hand, at best you are a slight favorite (60/40), and at worst you are a slight dog or a coinflip.

Against a player who can fold a marginal hand, I push. But against a 'sheriff', I make a small raise, or limp behind and see a flop. Push on a K or Q high flop, or if you have a flush or open ended straight draw.

Scenario 2:
Good play. You can't raise and fold to a reraise with the blinds this high. The ace in the burn doesnt affect the hand, you are trying to steal the blinds and you cant fold this as a short stack.

[37offsuit]

I'll tackle your last question first. When you limp along with K8 on the BB and you get a king on the flop, check to see where you're at instead of betting to find out. You're out of position and hold a weak kicker. This is not the place you want to take a stand, so if you check and someone bets small, you can call, but if they bet big, then you can just wait for a better opportunity. All you're losing is your blind. I try to think of the blinds as table tax so that I don't get so caught up in the notion of "protecting" that I get myself in trouble with a bad hand.

Anyway, the worst that can happen is that it gets checked around and the turn card comes an Ace. Maybe you lost a small pot here because you waited, but you definately didn't trap yourself. And if an 8 happens to fall your hand is likely good now.

Most importantly, know what kinds of hands people in your game will limp with. As it relates to your flop, it's usually trouble hands which include things like KJ, K10 or Kx suited. K8 is in even more trouble here.