Ax suited from late position / 2 limpers

[I am fish]

Hi all,

I am a fairly new poker player and will be posting and participating in the forums from here on.

I play at Party $1 / $2

The Question: A situation I am presented with fairly often is how to play the low Ax suited from the cutoff or the button when there have been exactly two limpers before me. I raise nearly every time in this spot with A8s up, but what about the smaller Axs?

What is the best play and why? fold, call, or raise?

thanks,
i am fish

[Nick C]

With the smaller suited aces, I would just call.

Since two players are already in, you'll probably need to catch something on the flop. Pairing your kicker by itself likely will not be good enough. You can't be fully confident in your ace either (though the possibility of catching one is part of what gives the hand its value). What you're really hoping for two-pair, trips, a flush, or a wheel (in the case of A2s-A5s).

I don't think A7s-A2s is really good enough to make a preflop raise worthwhile in this spot.

[tiltaholic]

hi. welcome.
i wouldn't raise in that situation.
in general i'd call.
but i also wouldn't say that situation happens "very often".
and everytime is does occur, the playing style of the limpers becomes important, as does the likelyhood of folding the blinds.
for example, with A7s, 2 really bad limpers in front of you, and super tight blinds that will fold to a raise -- i'll raise. switch that to A7s, 2 solid playing limpers and loose blinds and it's a call.
-t

[Joe B.]

what would you do if everybody folds in front of you? is it then a good time to raise? or just call still?

[tiltaholic]

joe b
could you be more specific (if your question was directed at me?)
-t

[Womble]

[ QUOTE ]
joe b
could you be more specific (if your question was directed at me?)
-t

[/ QUOTE ]

In general, first in from LP (CO + button) needs a raise. Its a shorthanded principle that I have just learnt [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

With a call, the BB gets a free play and the SB will limp in with junk that may hit the flop. With no one in the pot the flush potential of Axs goes down as you unlikely to have the odds to draw from the flop and the pot you win when you hit a flush will not be that big.

First in, you want it to be shorthanded, and a raise will accomplish that. You may steal the blinds without a fight which is an added bonus. Axs has only high card value now so get as many people out the pot as possible!