AQs - Limp or Automatic Raise?

[chrisdhal]

I recently moved up to 1/2 and am still coming to grips with raises that actually mean something. Therefore I am wondering about a hand like AQs. Most of the other people I have talked to say that they limp with it, or will re-raise but will not raise outright with it. The reasoning is that it's easy to drop on the flop if you don't hit it. Others have said it's powerful and will always raise with it.

I've played it both ways, but am wondering what the general feeling is. The following hand pretty much did it for me last night and got me thinking about it:


Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. MP2 posts a blind of $1.
UTG folds, Hero calls, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 (poster) checks, MP3 folds, CO calls, Button folds, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (5 SB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(5 players) </font>
SB bets, BB folds, Hero calls, MP2 folds, CO folds.

Turn: (3.50 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
SB bets, Hero calls.

River: (5.50 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
SB bets, Hero raises, SB 3-bets, Hero caps, SB calls.

Final Pot: 13.50 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 13.50 BB, between SB and Hero.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by SB (13.50 BB).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
SB shows 6c 8s (full house, sixes full of eights).
Hero shows Ad Qd (flush, ace high).
Outcome: SB wins 13.50 BB. </font>

I'm also not sure my turn play was good (in general, this time it worked out, but long term...). This was SB's 2nd hand and I had no notes on him. Thanks for any help.