AK-AQ in EP

[lowroller]

I've been picking up these hands in EP quite a bit lately in semi-loose (definitely not tight) games of $100-$300 NL.

I'm really torn between simply limping in because I am out of position, and raising out weaker hands that can catch a lucky flop and get me into a ton of trouble when I catch a TPTK-type hand.

Raising also presents the problem of "how much". When I'm in early position, there really is no pot to speak of yet, so usually with these types of hands I am raising 3-4 times the blind.

Thoughts?

[BuddahShark]

AK- raise 3-4 BB
AQ-Limp

This is how i usually play it, for a full ring that is. Unless the tables real tight, im limping with AQ, youre representing a pretty strong hand raising from the blinds or UTG, so youre only getting alot of action from great hands.

Buddah

[spoohunter]

I am raising both 4xBB + 1BB per limper in any moderately loose table.

Barring reads, I muck AQ to a raise, and call with AK.

[BL Mike]

[ QUOTE ]
I am raising both 4xBB + 1BB per limper in any moderately loose table.

Barring reads, I muck AQ to a raise, and call with AK.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's exactly the way I play these hands. I don't know how you can just limp in with AQ. I believe you've got to get weaker hands out. The hand obviously plays better against fewer players rather than many. Furthermore, if someone re-raises, it buys you information and probably saves you money in the long run.

[lowroller]

AJ muck in EP in loose/semi-loose??

[fimbulwinter]

depends on table image/range of hands which would call and re-raise.

given my usual, i raise everything above ATs UTG, the thing that will truly make you a solid player is knowing the range of call/fold/reraise hands of the other players, given your previous play or your observations of their previous plays in hands in which you were not involved, and playing accordingly.

i (drunkenly) digress, but one of the things that frustrates me about many twoplustwoers is not the fact that they play like rocks, but the fact that they don't muderously exploit that image. If people pegged me for AK every time I raised, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm..............

search for shania...

fim