Another early tournament situation - AJh

[Munkster]

I was small blind with AJ(suited hearts). It's early, blinds on 10/20, assume all has avg sized stacks (1000), 5 limpers, comes to me, I call (correct me if I am wrong), big blind checks. Flops J97, 97 being hearts. What do you do (pot size 140)?

I bet out 100, 3 callers.

turn comes a 3 (not hearts), what do you do now? (pot size 540)







I unwisely bet 200... one caller, river comes 8, I check, he bets 200, I call, he turns over Q10 for the straight.. My post flop play is horrendus.

[ZBTHorton]

In Late? (or middle? 6? 7? 8?) position I actually raise AJ suited here. You've got 5 limpers. The last thing you want to happen is exactly what happened. Someone would draw out on you with a hand they normally wouldn't play.

With that said, I make a bigger bet on the flop probably 200. You've got top pair, nut flush draw.

If you raised, you most likely got rid of 10-8 or Q-10. So your not worried about the straight draw, and you have top pair, nut flush draw as said before.

And if you don't do any of that. I definitely don't call the river. =)

[trumpman84]

unwisely? You had top pair top kicker (while not the best of hands in No limit, it's still quite formidable considering no one had shown any preflop strength.) and a draw to the nuts!

You got the opponent to put in 300 worth of bets with a much worse hand and a worse draw. What's your other line of action here? Let him draw on you for free so when he doesn't hit, he pays you nothing and you get nothing in return.

The only thing is maybe having a bigger turn bet to make drawers have worse odds compared to the pot other than that, I think you played the hand fine and just got unlucky.

[Munkster]

I understand I should bet, but by how much? I mean, am I being greedy not betting more on the flop? I think my biggest mistake (not counting the river call) is the turn bet.. any comments? how much approx should I bet in each street?

I really appreciate all the feedback, thanks.

[Harv72b]

I agree with raising preflop here, although I'm not so sure it would push out a QT at this stage in the tournament (especially if his QT was suited). But I do think it's the right play.

I'd bet the pot after the river. As has been said, you've got top pair/top kicker AND the nut flush draw, which is a huge hand. But with that straight draw on the board, you don't want to make it worthwhile for a guy with an open-ender to hang around.

Bet the pot again, at least, after the turn. Knowing now that he was playing QT, assuming he doesn't put you on two pair or a set, he's thinking that he's got 11 outs, for 4:1 odds. I don't think he'll put you on the flush draw as well, so he's probably still counting the 3 hearts in that total. By betting 200, you're giving him closer to 5:1 pot odds, so of course he's going to call.

Assuming I wasn't all in by the time the river came, there's no way I call his bet there. Tough to fold with TP/TK, and an expensive hand, but at the very least I've put him on two pair by now, more likely the straight that he hit.

[ZBTHorton]

I raise to 75 on the flop(I always raise 5xBB in the first round)

I bet pot on the flop

[Munkster]

It sounds like I really should raise PF.. My reasoning for not raising was:
1) I am in the worst position (sb)
2) with 4 or 5 limpers, I really have no idea what I should raise in this postion with AJ..

[adanthar]

Limping AJs is fine there since many people will limp AQ and even AK early.

However, the flop is both very good and very dangerous for you; it has 2 cards in the playing zone, and any T, 8 or heart kill your hand or your action (not to mention a K or Q).

I would overbet the pot (something like 150) on the flop and tread very carefully on the turn *or* checkraise any bet to the current size of the pot/possibly all in on the flop. You want to get the chips in now and hope no one's hit 2 pair (but if they do, you have good outs.)