Awkward hand with AJo preflop, NL50

[gildwulf]

How would you have played this hand out after the flop? Preflop might be a little loose call...I probably fold this 60-70% of the time and call 30-40% of the time. My table is somewhat passive preflop. Opponent has VPIP of 18%, PFR 5%.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (8 handed) converter

UTG+1 ($60.65)
MP1 ($99)
Hero ($46)
CO ($61.50)
Button ($64.75)
SB ($51.65)
BB ($41.60)
UTG ($59.89)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.25.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, Hero calls $0.50, CO calls $0.50, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB (poster) completes, BB checks.

Flop: ($2) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $2</font>, CO folds, SB calls $2, BB folds.

Turn: ($6) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets $5</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $10</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to $35</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $51

[LethalRose]

is that a minraise i see in there?

[stu-unger]

if im opening with AJ (which im usually not) i think im definitely open raising to whatever your open raise tends to be. i think i lead flop for 2/3 bet if checked to me, or call if someone bets. on the turn if there is a turn, im calling the villains original bet or if im raising (which im probably not) im gonna raise enough that a smaller 2 pair isn't gonna play back at me.

as the hand was played i think u r correct to fold.

[swolfe]

preflop, i'd raise if i were going to play it.

flop: good

turn: you're WAWB, i'd call and eval the river

reads? what do you put him on?

[Mercman572]

[ QUOTE ]
preflop, i'd raise if i were going to play it.


[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
if im opening with AJ (which im usually not) i think im definitely open raising to whatever your open raise tends to be.

[/ QUOTE ]

i don't get everyone's opposition to AJ in mp to limp with, or open raise in late position as long as the table isn't overly tight. sometimes I'll limp AJ LP as well. My reasoning is that on most of the tables i'm at, a better Ace will raise preflop and a worse one will limp along with me. I find I win alot of kicker battles with top pair ace in this situation. Of course I always let it go to a raise, or when I raise in LP and a blind or limper calls I'm always cautious on the flop.

Can you guys help me understand why you fold this more times than not in a limped pot? I understand that if there's a player who likes raising behind you its an easy fold since most times he'll take your blind, but otherwise?

[stu-unger]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
preflop, i'd raise if i were going to play it.


[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
if im opening with AJ (which im usually not) i think im definitely open raising to whatever your open raise tends to be.

[/ QUOTE ]

i don't get everyone's opposition to AJ in mp to limp with, or open raise in late position as long as the table isn't overly tight. sometimes I'll limp AJ LP as well. My reasoning is that on most of the tables i'm at, a better Ace will raise preflop and a worse one will limp along with me. I find I win alot of kicker battles with top pair ace in this situation. Of course I always let it go to a raise, or when I raise in LP and a blind or limper calls I'm always cautious on the flop.

Can you guys help me understand why you fold this more times than not in a limped pot? I understand that if there's a player who likes raising behind you its an easy fold since most times he'll take your blind, but otherwise?

[/ QUOTE ]

1) i want the opportunity to take the pot down now or to a continuation bet.
-im gonna miss most of my flops
2) i hate open-limping/if someone in LP raises i can't call and someone most likely will.
3) it makes this pot and many other similiar pots very easy to play.

IMO open limping is a leak in a lot of people's games. i don't like the idea of limping any hand that can't stand a raise, because the better the game u play the more uncommon a limped pot becomes.

[gildwulf]

[ QUOTE ]
preflop, i'd raise if i were going to play it.

flop: good

turn: you're WAWB, i'd call and eval the river

reads? what do you put him on?

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't understand your comments about the turn...if I just call this bet I am basically pot committed. Am I folding any river that's not an Ace or a Jack? I don't get it. The turn seems like a push/fold decision to me.

I agree an open raise is pretty good here preflop...maybe marginally better than a call/fold.

[Mercman572]

thanks stu. you are probably playing harder games than me. i was referring to those bad games at 50nl loose-passives where a limped pot is not uncommon and a raise will get you 2 or more callers that would have limped normally. in a game of loose passive that will call down, how is limping with AJ in that situation?

[stu-unger]

[ QUOTE ]
thanks stu. you are probably playing harder games than me. i was referring to those bad games at 50nl loose-passives where a limped pot is not uncommon and a raise will get you 2 or more callers that would have limped normally. in a game of loose passive that will call down, how is limping with AJ in that situation?

[/ QUOTE ]

if u r limping just to bring weaker aces along for the ride thats a fine strategy. i just hate facing a raise with this hand. if i limp this hand i think i play it super cautiously. an over limp with AJ isn't bad imo in position, but its hard to play oop against aggro villains. i think for the most part though this hand really needs to be folded without position.

[swolfe]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't understand your comments about the turn...if I just call this bet I am basically pot committed. Am I folding any river that's not an Ace or a Jack? I don't get it. The turn seems like a push/fold decision to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

no, no...i meant i would have flat called the $5 bet. you have to fold to his 3-bet.