AJo preflop

[gulebjorn]

Interpoker 50$ NL

I have AJo in CO-1. UTG limps, others fold to me. UTG is tight but raises/re-raises his big hands PF. I limp. CO and button fold. SB raises to 4xBB. He's been raising a lot, regardless of position. Has shown down AQs after one of those. Never shown trash/bluffs, but still looks like he's raising loose, just because of the amount of PF raises. BB calls. He's weak-tight. UTG calls.

What is good strategy here?

Do I raise instead of limping in the first place? CO is very tight, button is LAG, but still pretty solid.

Do I fold/call/re-raise the raise?

All comments are welcome.

[gulebjorn]

anyone?

[michaliv]

I probably would have raises first, to at least to try to get to heads up w/ UTG and have position. After you llimp and SB raises, I would be a little worried. AJo can be a trap hand against a raise (possibly facing AQ or AK). You never really know where you are at. You are getting 4:1 on your call, so you may still decide to call here, if you do not think there is a bigger Ace out. From your description of the players, I would probably fold here. There is too big of a chance that you are way behind here.

[PinkSteel]

In LP with one limper to me I'd raise 4xBB to buy the button.

I'm unsure of how to play it with multiple limpers; AJo isn't much in a multi-way pot. I probably limp or fold, and limping's probably bad.

I'd fold to a re-raise probably 90% of the time.

[gulebjorn]

I called it and let go on a Q-high flop that got action.

I'm usually raising in the first place as well, I don't know why I didn't. With four left behind me to act and a solid player calling OOP, I didn't wanna end up in a raised multiway pot with AJ. But since I called, I ended up that way anyway [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[PinkSteel]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm usually raising in the first place as well, I don't know why I didn't. With four left behind me to act and a solid player calling OOP, I didn't wanna end up in a raised multiway pot with AJ. But since I called, I ended up that way anyway [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm a low-limit muppet, but you well know there's a big difference between making the raise and calling one. If I limped, I would definitely fold to a raise.

With AJo I'm just looking to take position on the field and either hit the flop hard or steal when others whiff. OOP I'll lead the flop but dump it quickly unimproved.

[gulebjorn]

Since the two players behind me folded, I was in fact closing the action on the flop. That, and the fact that I had better than 4-1 pot odds made me call.

But you're absolutely right, if I'm gonna call a raise with it, I might as well raise in the first place.

Is everyone in agreement on betting AJo in LP after UTG limp?

[ajmargarine]

[ QUOTE ]
Is everyone in agreement on betting AJo in LP after UTG limp?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would have raised in your situation preflop. I usually treat AJo as a premium hand, and bet it as if its AA. (if i am opening the betting or one limper, as here) Being cautious tho, because it's on the lowest rung of the premium hand ladder. In your situation presented, I would have called the SB raise, as you have position on all the action and odds were OK.