my early tightening lessons continue

[gr8vertical]

I'll call 20 more everytime with that hand and see a flop. But then again, I think I could toss it even if I hit the flop somehow if I sensed I was losing...

[Insty]

[ QUOTE ]

This is not the same as limping with any two cards trying to flop two pair. You are closing the action, you've got great pot odds, and most likely excellent implied odds given the action before you. You're not playing AQ for it's hand value here (and you shouldn't, because it's probably not the best hand out there in this situation). Think of the hands you're likely to be against, and think of the flops you'd like to see. The 1 time out of 20 that the flop hits you really hard, you are probably taking someone's stack. When you do flop a monster, you only need to get 200 more chips to make it a positive play.


[/ QUOTE ]

What flop are you going to be happy seeing here?
Now calculate the odds of those flops occuring. I'm sure you'll find it's much more than 1 in 20.
How is this any different from playing any two and hoping to flop a monster?

[ QUOTE ]

Playing tight early is smart, but not to the point where you're shying away from +EV situations that require little investment. Folding here is almost certainly throwing away chips in the long run.


[/ QUOTE ]

Sure, but I don't think this is one of those spots. I think you are going to have to lay this hand down far more often than you seem to think.

[adanthar]

[ QUOTE ]
What flop are you going to be happy seeing here?
Now calculate the odds of those flops occuring. I'm sure you'll find it's much more than 1 in 20.
How is this any different from playing any two and hoping to flop a monster?

[/ QUOTE ]

A)Sometimes a lone ace or a lone Q will be enough, and a decent player can tell when that will be (ie, you autocheck any flop and CR only if you smell weakness);

B)Calling any two means you need to hit 2 pair when the other guy hits an ace or has an overpair, where AK and sometimes Ax will still give you their stack if you flop 2 pair+;

C)With the effective position I have here I would call any suited two gapper or better in this spot.

[TheAmp]

[ QUOTE ]
My thinking was that AQo doesn't play well 5-handed out of position after the flop in the first level of a SNG.

[/ QUOTE ]

That hand plays fine.

The real question is how does the person connected to that hand play.

[DrPhysic]

Morgan,
Lacky is exactly right. You have the pot odds to call this.

AQ is a power hand. It is not a monster. The test of this hand is not can you play it pre-flop. The test is whether you play well enough post flop to handle it. You have to carefully evaluate the betting and odds post flop and be able to press when ahead or dump it when losing.

Doc

[SuitedSixes]

[ QUOTE ]
Call. Your odds are gigantic.

Be inclined to check/fold non ideal flops - e.g. Axx, Qxx. You are playing here largely for the potential of a flop like AQx or QQx. Sometimes you will be able to contest the pot on an Axx or Qxx flop, but if you have a bad feeling about it, don't be afraid to fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

Someone Smart said something to the effect of, "Pot odds are like filters on cigarettes. They just provide justification for people to do things that they know are bad for them."

If Axx and Qxx are non-ideal flops, then this is exactly why this hand needs to be thrown away. If you are advocating holding on for an AQx, QQx or KJT, then why not play 85 against a raise, out of position and hope for a 85x, 885, or 967 flop?

With AQo you are going to:
Flop 4 aces or 4 queens .01% of the time
Flop a full house .09% of the time
Flop three to the flush 4.38% of the time
Flop a straight of KJT .32% of the time
Flop a three of a kind 1.35% of the time
Flop two pair 2.02% of the time.

But flop the non-ideal Axx or Qxx 32.43% of the time.

Muck it.

[microbet]

It's a marginal hand, because I fold Ace Ten for sure and probably Ace Jack offsuit, but I won't fold Ace Queen here until I can figure out how to get dealt AA, KK or AK a little more often.

[DaffyDuck]

[ QUOTE ]

With AQo you are going to:
Flop 4 aces or 4 queens .01% of the time
Flop a full house .09% of the time
Flop three to the flush 4.38% of the time
Flop a straight of KJT .32% of the time
Flop a three of a kind 1.35% of the time
Flop two pair 2.02% of the time.


[/ QUOTE ]

These add up to 8.17%. So you're 12:1 assuming you fold everything but these hands. Sprinkle in the occasional Axx, Qxx flop that works for you and your odds keep going down.

He is betting 20 to win 190. So he is gettin 9.5 to 1 without considering any implied odds.

He's closing the betting.

This call is a no brainer (unless I reraise [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img])

Bob

[SuitedSixes]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

With AQo you are going to:
Flop 4 aces or 4 queens .01% of the time
Flop a full house .09% of the time
Flop three to the flush 4.38% of the time
Flop a straight of KJT .32% of the time
Flop a three of a kind 1.35% of the time
Flop two pair 2.02% of the time.


[/ QUOTE ]

These add up to 8.17%. So you're 12:1 assuming you fold everything but these hands. Sprinkle in the occasional Axx, Qxx flop that works for you and your odds keep going down.

He is betting 20 to win 190. So he is gettin 9.5 to 1 without considering any implied odds.

He's closing the betting.

This call is a no brainer (unless I reraise [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img])

Bob

[/ QUOTE ]

Of those 8.17%, how many is he behind AA, AK, KK, QQ or a made set? All of which are very likely coming from a pre-flop raiser. Your best hope is that he's raising with KQ.

[onthebutton]

You are essentially folding AQo here to a one bet raise.

A one bet raise.

I'd think about reraising here. How can you put anyone else on a big pair with only a one bet raise in front of you? Against a small pair, you are in a race and have to see the flop.