Weak 50NL at Prima. Checking my aggression level

[bunky9590]

2 hands to make sure I am okay with my NL ring game skills.
(I've been away for a while in limitsville)

A6o in BB. 2 limpers. I have $25. both players have me covered.

Flop comes T 6 2 rainbow. I bet $2.50, 1 fold 1 caller.
Turn 6 I bet $7.50 he folds.

AQs small blind, 4 limpers to me I have $28.00, I make it $3.00 to go, I caller ( big stack at table but very weak)
Flop comes J 9 4 (2 hearts, I have none) I bet $7.00 he folds.

K4d BB. I have $35.00 3 limpers, I check. Flop comes 3 diamonds no str8 flush potential. I bet $3.00 2 folds, button raises to 10 ( I have him well covered), I push in, he calls , shows Q8d.

These plays pretty automatic? Standard procedure right?

[bunky9590]

[Mike Gallo]

Bunky,

All hands look good to me.

[bunky9590]

Yeah, I thought they were pretty automatic, especially for the aggressive style I play. They did clearly look like value bets.

The flush hand I literally said out loud, If you have the A High flush, you're gonna win a big pot! He didn't, I got paid!

[The Bear]

1) I would sometimes try to check-raise the turn. Most of the time, I would play it like you.

3) I'd split my decisions between betting out and check-raising. Once you get raised, it's an easy all-in.

2) I'm not sure I like the way you played the AQs. You say there are 4 limpers to you, which means there is $5.50 in the pot (after both blinds). If you are going to raise, you need to make it something like $6 to go. $3 is simply too small, as it prices everyone in to the pot. You're lucky you didn't get called in multiple places. If you do get called in 3 spots there, you have a real tricky flop decision if you miss.

I often don't raise limpers with this hand from the SB. Yes, I understand that you're raising for value, but playing big cards out of position in no-limit is not a spot I want to be in. My default play here is to call up and check-raise the flop if I hit it. Of course, on the button, I'd raise nearly every time.

I'd be interested in what others have to say about the AQs.

[scrub]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure I like the way you played the AQs. You say there are 4 limpers to you, which means there is $5.50 in the pot (after both blinds). If you are going to raise, you need to make it something like $6 to go. $3 is simply too small, as it prices everyone in to the pot. You're lucky you didn't get called in multiple places. If you do get called in 3 spots there, you have a real tricky flop decision if you miss.

I often don't raise limpers with this hand from the SB. Yes, I understand that you're raising for value, but playing big cards out of position in no-limit is not a spot I want to be in. My default play here is to call up and check-raise the flop if I hit it. Of course, on the button, I'd raise nearly every time.

I'd be interested in what others have to say about the AQs.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't like the AQs raise. The AQ aspect of the hand sucks to play out of position, and it sucks to play in a big pot. With AQ, I think you make a lot more money getting payed off by smaller aces than you do by collecting the flop raise when you hit and losing a BIG flop bet and maybe more when you miss and/or hit and are beaten.

The suited ace aspect of this hand plays great just fine against a ton of limpers. Particularly when a raise hasn't hurt its implied odds and forced it to call a larger bet relative to stack size on the flop while drawing. I know putting in a raise against a ton of limpers with a AXs is a decent play in a loose limit game, but I don't think it's such a great play NL.

There was a thread recently about playing AKo UTG. I think the qualms some players had about playing AKo in a big pot from up front are even more important when playing AQ from SB against a lot of limpers. Particularly when your raise was small enough that it's likely effect was to build the pot without limiting the field...

Against an extremely weak-tight table, I might be tempted to put in a big raise against all of that limped money. But even then, I'm not sure that AQ are the cards I want to be holding when I get called. I would hate hitting the flop and getting called. I'd be more inclined to make this raise with a hand that was either stronger or weaker. Either way, it's easier for me to play on the flop and beyond when I get action.

Good luck, buddy!

scrub