AQ hand!
 

How is my line?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (10 handed) converter

Hero (t965)
CO (t1845)
Button (t630)
SB (t545)
BB (t760)
UTG (t1015)
UTG+1 (t555)
UTG+2 (t270)
MP1 (t715)
MP2 (t700)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t125</font>, CO calls t125, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>.

Flop: (t295) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t225</font>, CO calls t225.

Turn: (t745) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, CO checks.

River: (t745) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, CO checks.

Final Pot: t745

Re: AQ hand!
 

I personally don't like to raise 4xBB pre-flop with AQs in MP at this blind level. Blinds aren't worth stealing, and callers probably have you dominated. I usually limp or maybe mini-raise and then go from there. A re-raise pre-flop has me thinking of dropping the hand and I play the flop with caution.

Re: AQ hand!
 

Looks about right to me. I would say CO likely has overcards in which case your in good shape or 55-99,in which case you're not. If you think you can push CO off an overpair, or he's the sort of donk to call with overcards, i might push the turn. I think you're good more often than not here.

Edit: I say this assuming a low buy-in, but you don't mention what the buy-in is.

Re: AQ hand!
 

sorry it is a 20+2

Re: AQ hand!
 

What is Villain afraid of here? If you are Villain, why are you checking the turn and river?

Re: AQ hand!
 

[ QUOTE ]
Blinds aren't worth stealing, and callers probably have you dominated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wrong. At the lower limits people will call with anything. I had someone call my UTG raise with 76o the other night. Limping has its merits as well, but raising is certainly not awful.

The only thing I'd change is to scale down my flop bet a bit. There isn't much you need to protect your hand agaist (except other over cards). I think a continuation bet of about 125 is enough to accomplish what you need to accomplish.

Re: AQ hand!
 

You are ramping up the pot way too quickly to play it well on later streets. Party's structure is tricky b/c the starting stacks are so shallow. Thus, unless the blinds are worth making a stand over (not yet...) raise as little as you can (but still get some value and allow others to start defining their hands) preflop but not so much that the pot starts to get way too big on the flop/turn.

Your flop bet is pretty bad I'd say as now the pot is ridiculously big and you have jack shizzy.

Even if you just bet t125 then t125 again the chips are starting to pile up quickly vs. a probable pp. Thankfully your opponent sucks donkeynutz (or thinks you *really* suck donkeynutz)...so you get to checkdown cheaply after making a really big pot.

Yugoslav

Re: AQ hand!
 

Here's my line....

Pre-flop limp or mini-raise. Sometimes I may stick in a raise to 90, but usually not.

If one caller on flop like this situation, I bet out the flop for half the pot. If he calls, I bet out again for the same amount (which is now 1/4 of the pot). I am absolutely amazed how many times villain folds the turn. Any re-raises and I am obviously out of here. If he calls the turn the river is tough. If you check he's invited to push you out of the pot, but you don't want to contribute more to this likely losing situation. Probably have to check and fold.

DISCLAIMER: I'm pretty much a newbie donk. Take it for what it's worth.

Re: AQ hand!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Blinds aren't worth stealing, and callers probably have you dominated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are right. Good catch. I should have said "may have you dominated." Still a significant concern.

Re: AQ hand!
 

Oft-times you don't need to play the later streets well because you win the hand on the flop. I like your friend Greke's thoghts here.