My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

This is the first time I've consciously done this, and I would really like to know if I did it right.

Additionally, regarding my pf call - I had no reads, and my rationale was, at the 10+1 level, my opponent doesn't only need AA/KK/QQ/AK to make that move - he could just as easily have AJ/AT/KQ - which I am happy to play against. But I'd like to hear what ya'll thank about that.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed) converter

SB (t770)
BB (t760)
UTG (t800)
Hero (t805)
MP1 (t665)
MP2 (t795)
MP3 (t2115)
CO (t715)
Button (t575)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t45</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises to t150</font>, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, Hero calls t105.

Flop: (t322.50) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t325</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises all-in 1965</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t647.50

So was the wrong spot to try this? Did I bet too much? As you can see, I'm not exactly sure.

Thanks

Re: My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

I'm under the impression that the 'go' entails putting all your chips in the middle, not just raising. I may be wrong.
As for what you did, I see no reason to make this move so early in the tournament.

Re: My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm under the impression that the 'go' entails putting all your chips in the middle, not just raising. I may be wrong.
As for what you did, I see no reason to make this move so early in the tournament.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree, particularly with the worst card in the deck for you hitting the flop.

Fold preflop and you won't have to worry about it.

Re: My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

I'm not raising, let alone calling a re-raise this early in the game with AQos, especially out of position.

Re: My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I would really like to know if I did it right.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ummm... Wow.

Couple of things wrong with this hand.

1. Save the stop and go's for when the blinds are more than a tenth of your stack. You should be playing solid SNG poker early.

2. Some people will tell you just to fold the AQo to begin with in early position. I agree that it's an option, and I usually do at the higher limits, but I don't think it's terrible to open-raise with AQ at the $10 level early in the SNG. You can often win some pretty big pots against weaker aces.

3. When you're reraised preflop, you should be finished with the hand. Out of position, and you can't even be sure you're ahead if you flop either top pair.

4. No need for a stop and go here (see #1). You completely missed the flop, and the preflop raiser showed great strength. It's suicidal to bet into him here.

5. One could argue that you should call the reraise o nthe flop since 2/3 of your stack is already in the middle, and at the $10 level, a bluff here isn't out of the question, particularly since it's early in the SNG and the crazies haven't busted out yet. Folding is also fine though.

Other than that, yeah, you did it "right".

Re: My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Other than that, yeah, you did it "right".


[/ QUOTE ] [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

After lots of play, I am pretty convinced the right play with AQo in early position with lots of opponents is limp and fold to aggression.

Two reasons for this.

-You need to be able to sniff out AK. AK usually raises limpers (and you fold). A big raise early will likely be called (not raised) by AK making the post flop play difficult/impossible. If you limp (and are not raised) you can play both an A and a Q pretty aggressively post flop. If you raise and are called all flops are challenging.

-You are out of position post flop so try not to commit too many chips pre-flop

Pokerscott

Re: My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

One more thing - a stop and go is generally used when you are in the blinds, and facing a single raiser that's possibly on a steal. Low and mid pairs are good for this play, though late in a SNG, you run into situations where it is correct to run a stop and go with any two cards. You call his bet preflop, then lead out on the flop. In this situation, the preflop raiser showed excessive strength (reraising an EP raiser) - not the ideal spot, especially with the still relatively deep stacks.

It's also noteworthy that MP3 had a large stack early in the SNG - was he showing unbridiled agression with marginal hands previously? If so, that would make the preflop call with AQ a little more palatable, but it's still usually better to err on the side of caution here.

Re: My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

Like others said, it's too early to make a move like this, as there's only 25 in the pot before you enter. Early in the SNG, I'm not trying to build big pots I'll have to make moves at on later streets, so I'd probably just limp in. If you get raised more than the minimum, it's an easy fold and you've only dropped T15 (and no one knows you folded A Q). If you get to see a flop and miss, the pot is small and you can just let it go. If you hit, you can start building a pot on the flop.

Re: My first deliberate Stop \'n\' Go....I think?
 

So I guess in conclusion - boy, do I suck!?

Thanks all for politely pointing out my sucky-ness, and I promise to try harder. You wouldn't have thought I'd been reading these forums for nearly 3 years would you?