A simple pre-flop situation

[Ulysses]

Decent player raises UTG. He will raise the range of hands most typical 10/20 6-maxers here would. Complete idiot cold-calls. He could have anything and will pay off the max.

Folded to you in SB. You have AJo. Big blind is average to bad, nothing special. Prob 50/50 him calling if you don't 3-bet.

You?

[Peter_rus]

I would call.

[TwoNiner]

I usually call, prepared to fire something across the room if BB hits two pair and beats my aces or jacks.

[fyodor]

I would just call too. On the Button I'm raising but in the SB the bad position makes me just call.

When the flop comes and you miss if you are on the Button everyone often checks to you where you can bet and get some good things to happen - fold people, buy a free card later.

In the SB you can lead out and still get someone to fold but you will almost never buy yourself a free card.

The control you get with a preflop 3 bet is very tenuous in the SB.

[fnord_too]

I'm in the just call camp. I'm not crazy about AJo against a raise from a solid utg player, but the presence of one and possibly too poor players in the pot makes me want to see the flop.

[Joe Tall]

I just call in giving your description of the opponents.

Peace,
Joe Tall

[samdash]

I wouldn't usually play AJo here against only the UTG raiser you describe. But with the complete idiot now in the pot I believe you have a call. You don't think UTG raiser will give you enough action when you make a better hand than him, but with the fish now in you figure to get paid off enough the times you make a better hand than the raiser. Also, the player in the bb sounds like someone you want to let in for 1 bet to make a 2nd best hand to your pair of aces or jacks.

[Scotch78]

Just to dissent, and hopefully get some good discussion going . . . I fold. I pretty much take a fold or re-raise approach in the SB, and as most of us agree, this isn't a raising situation. I don't know enough theory (or poker in general) to justify my blind play in terms of EV, but I am showing a profit from the SB, so this might be the one part of poker I understand intuitively :-) Fire away.

Scott

[Nikla]

Call. However I would muck ATo.

[PokerNoob]

Is your intent to get him thinking about what you might have on a coordinated flop to have him lay down a superior hand? Or is it just getting the fish to pay off when you hit your ace and he doesn't have you dominated?