$22: AQs good enough for an EP raise 6-handed... asks a push-or-folder

[spentrent]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (6 handed) converter

Button (t592)
SB (t705)
BB (t3067)
Hero (t730)
MP (t1963)
CO (t943)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t150</font>

[mike28]

I limp here

[Jman28]

I raise the same, but I'm starting to question it.

You are almost comitted to call a push after the raise, in which case you will almost definitely be behind.

I'm interested in what others think.

-Jman28

[mike28]

[ QUOTE ]
I raise the same, but I'm starting to question it.

You are almost comitted to call a push after the raise, in which case you will almost definitely be behind.

I'm interested in what others think.

-Jman28

[/ QUOTE ]

That's why I like a limp. You can call the raise (depending on how big and from who) and see where you're at. When you get re-raised you're screwed.

[tjh]

[ QUOTE ]
I limp here

[/ QUOTE ]

I never thought I would hear that said !!
Not that it isn't the right thing in this situation. As a newb it took me a whil till I got used to seeing PUSH PUSH PUSH RAISE RAISE RAISE.

Being curious I used google to search the site for the phrase "I limp here"

I limp here

7 references.

I raise here

52 pages found

I push here

35 pages found

--
tjh

[theordinaryboy]

i hate limping ak/aq even aj in early position.

These hands do not play well in multi-way pots. I want to be playing 3 people maximum with aqs. This is still level 3 and the smallest stack had 12xbb, unless someone has a great hand i doubt you'd see a push here. If i see a standard raise from a player (im presuming) who has played relatively tight when he's utg i'm folding all but premium hands (obviously i am presuming again that these 20+2 opponents know what they are doing) but still i think the chances of a push are quite slim.

6 handed Aqs is a strong hand and imo should be raised to drive out crap and stop the blinds getting in for cheap or free.

Most of the time you'll just take the blinds.

However, saying this it does get you into problems

1. A standard re-raise i would probably call committing me to more chips than i would like. If i dont hit the flop i'm in trouble, a continuation bet puts me all-in (with your chip size in the example), a check on the flop shows weakness and you would have to fold if put all-in.

However if you dont get re-raised and a get a couple of callers you can get away from your hand if you miss the flop and you still have a reasonable amount of chips.

On the plus side if u hit u should be ahead as one would presume that ak would have re-raised (presuming no sets/2 pair). If they fols to your bet or if you take more of them this then puts you in a much more favourable position going into level 4.

Anyway i think there are good arguments for both sides, but i think the problems suffered by raising are less than just limping and letting the blinds take your whole stack when a A72 flop hits and they beat you with their 72o.

Aq in the first few rounds with plus 10bb's is a raise or fold hand not a limp.

because it is 6 handed i raise it if there were more players i tend towards folding.

just my thoughts anyway

any criticisms are more than welcome

[john_]

Why do you assume these type of hands don't play well in a multi-way pot?

You raise to 150 you take down 75 chips a few times that's all fine and good. There's no clear way to know what to do when you're re-raised. Anyone who re-raised you is going to put you in a tough spot to figure out whether you're a dog or a big dog. Are those 75 chips really worth that much?

[Phil Van Sexton]

I would bet 150 and call a push.

On the flop, I'm pushing if it's checked to me and there is no K on the board.

[theordinaryboy]

I presume that aq or any 2 big cards are not good in multiway pots thru experience (altho mine is not great) and also i read this long essay/experiment which this guy did about how hands improve/unimprove when there are more players.

I tried to find the link for it but i cant find it which is a shame because it was a great article. Essentially it concluded that 2 big cards fell in value the more players you added and hands like low suited connectors rose in value the more players you added.

This i know is very vague,i will try and find the article and get back to you.

If any one else knows the url of what i'm talking about please help me out, the article hand quite nice 3d graphs if that helps.

[Phil Van Sexton]

[ QUOTE ]
I presume that aq or any 2 big cards are not good in multiway pots thru experience (altho mine is not great) and also i read this long essay/experiment which this guy did about how hands improve/unimprove when there are more players.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm familiar with this. However, I believe this was talking about limit holdem where you can usually chase just about any draw in a multiway pot.

Here its NL and the hero only has about 14xBB. You can't afford to play drawing hands. If you think you have the best hand, raise or push.