AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

First hand of the 50/100 blind level at Party $55. I'm UTG with AQo and around 1050 chips. 9 players left. Play tonight has been incredibly donkish for the $55 level, so I can expect some loose calls. What's my play?

Re: AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

Bump for the evening crowd. Possible explanations for your pick is never unwanted as well.

Re: AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

Well this is a spot I'm in basically never so here's my best shot.

I raise to 300. I think all the other options just plain suck, especially pushing/folding. That leaves limping and raising, and if I ever minraise UTG please shoot me in the head. So I've narrowed my choices down to limping in or raising. Raising is good because I would raise it to 300 with AA here as well (and JJ+). Raising is also good because you can win the pot uncontested right now, and you have position on the blinds if one of them calls. I also like raising for one more reason, which is valid but I really hate bringing anything to do with reads into poker problems, but this course of action lets you make the best decision against someone who you read as loose or someone you read as tight if you get repopped. I hate spots like this because the stacks are awkward, but I guess that's what makes it worth discussing.

Re: AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

The donkish calls I read to mean both pre and postflop, so a c-bet scares me if I raise to 3 BB. Stealing the blinds is good, and only 4 hands scare me heads up. I don't hate a coinflip here as much as I do with say, 4 players.

To be perfectly honest, it boils down to the fact that I'm terrified of playing a hand wrong postflop with 10 BB. I've got a lot of work ahead of me, I guess. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Re: AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

i'm pushing this most of the time. if i'm feeling saucy, sometimes i'll limp and, if raised, push against a loose raiser and fold against a tight raiser.

but yeah, pretty much a push.

Re: AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

I push this 95% of the time.
Good hand yada yada. Some annoying situations come up when I raise 2.5-3 bb and I miss the flop.

Re: AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

[ QUOTE ]
To be perfectly honest, it boils down to the fact that I'm terrified of playing a hand wrong postflop with 10 BB. I've got a lot of work ahead of me, I guess. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey, join the club! We meet on Thursdays behind Moe's Diner.

In all seriousness, I am the exact same way, and I am very comfortable with my SnG game.

Re: AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

The consensus seems to be push. I dunno. There are few hands I feel cozy about pushing into 8 people with over 10BB. AQ is right on the cusp of that list.

Re: AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

[ QUOTE ]
Well this is a spot I'm in basically never so here's my best shot.

I raise to 300. I think all the other options just plain suck, especially pushing/folding. That leaves limping and raising, and if I ever minraise UTG please shoot me in the head. So I've narrowed my choices down to limping in or raising. Raising is good because I would raise it to 300 with AA here as well (and JJ+). Raising is also good because you can win the pot uncontested right now, and you have position on the blinds if one of them calls. I also like raising for one more reason, which is valid but I really hate bringing anything to do with reads into poker problems, but this course of action lets you make the best decision against someone who you read as loose or someone you read as tight if you get repopped. I hate spots like this because the stacks are awkward, but I guess that's what makes it worth discussing.

[/ QUOTE ]

i voted a few hours ago for 3X BB and this is pretty much in accord w/ my rationale.

I would like to add that by this point in the tourney, judging by the size of my stack, I most likely havent seen many flops at all so this t300 raise should set off enough bells and whistles for anyone who is observant to stop people from pushing over the top with junk.

no need to push just yet IMO.

Re: AQ/early game/awkward stacks
 

I think you've got two options, and that's to fold or raise to 300, with the intention of calling any push.

If you open push, you get the table to fold the vast majority of the time, unless they pick up AA-QQ. Hands like ATs/AJs/KQs that may have been thinking about playing will still often fold. However if you pop it to 300, you will sometimes get these hands to come over the top, particularly if it's an exceptionally donkish night as you mentioned.