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Hi all,

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+2 calls, MP1 calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, CO calls, Hero calls, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (7 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(7 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+2 checks, MP1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets</font>, Hero ?

I have to consider that this hand confused me [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
I'd just sat at this 35/10 table and this was my 3rd hand. No reads.
At one side pot is a bit big and I can raise - on the other I can get many callers and to raise on later streets using position and I tend to call. What do you guys think?

I know there was an option to raise pre-flop but I like when there are 5-6 limpers. Thoughts?

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The EV between calling and raising preflop is close enough that it doesnt really matter what you do. On the flop you should just call as you dont want to eliminate anyone since you are on a drawing hand. If you were in a raised pot, and lets say the preflop raiser already checked and the cutoff bet, then you must raise to try to force all better aces to fold. In the actual hand, you are much better off calling the CO's bet and letting all the bottom/middle pairs/gutshots call, than raising to force out a better ace. The pot is now not large enough to worry about forcing out a better ace, and the better ace may not even be there anyways, given nobody raised preflop.