What a mess I made--AQs

[StellarWind]

<font color="green">This hand has been bothering me for several days. It is from one of my first sessions at 2/4 and things were not going well. When MP2 raised me (again!) I got pretty irritated and the rest of a hand was a struggle with myself as well as the table. Yeah, I know ... not good.</font>

Paradise Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)
<font color="green">About 35% preflop/Pretty aggressive. MP2 is a LAG who has stung me several times with dubious preflop raises. UTG is a very flaky player whose main objective is becoming shortstacked so he can go all-in on an early street. Once he gets in striking distance of all-in on a hand his raises show little more than two cards. In this case however he "unluckily" still has 15+ BB so we can expect more cautious but not necessarily more intelligent play.</font>

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">MP2 3-bets</font>, MP3 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls.

<font color="green">Should I have capped this 5-way?</font>

Flop: (15.50 SB) 5/images/graemlins/club.gif, 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(5 players) </font>
BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, MP2 calls, BB calls, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: (10.25 BB) Q/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(5 players) </font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG bets</font>, UTG+1 folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, MP2 calls, BB folds, <font color="CC3333">UTG 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero caps</font>, MP2 calls, UTG calls.

<font color="green">This was me??? This is embarrassing. Tilt. Does the first raise have any merit?</font>

River: (22.25 BB) 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">UTG bets</font>, Hero calls, MP2 folds.

Final Pot: 24.25 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 24.25 BB, between UTG and Hero.</font>

[Rico Suave]

Hey SW:

Preflop, I probably would not cap it, but, I do not think capping would be wrong.

I would check the flop.

The turn raise is good, but when you get 3-bet, I think the cap may be a bit over the top. I know you think that this flaky play hasn't got squat, but even crappy players get a hand. And, MP 2 cold called once on the turn, I doubt you can shake him loose.

Aside from the turn cap, I do not think you played so badly.

--Rico

[beerbandit]

I would cap preflop before capping the turn. By raising you are not pushing any of the players off their flush draw, straight draw, or even a made straight.

On the end the pot is huge and I feel that a call here is correct.

UTG = 9 10 or JQ

[StellarWind]

UTG showed the nuts: T9o.