Well.... this ones a tuffy!

[Roland32]

I can honestly say I had no idea how to play this come the turn.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (9 handed) converter

Button (t1500)
SB (t1500)
BB (t1500)
Hero (t1500)
UTG+1 (t1500)
MP1 (t1500)
MP2 (t1500)
MP3 (t1500)
CO (t1500)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
Hero calls t20, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP1 calls t20, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises to t60</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, BB calls t40, Hero calls t40, MP1 calls t40.

Flop: (t250) A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks, MP1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets t200</font>, BB calls t200, Hero calls t200, MP1 calls t200.

Turn: (t1050) J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, Hero checks, MP1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets t400</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises to t800</font>, Hero calls t800, MP1 folds, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises to t1240</font>, BB calls t440 (All-In), Hero calls t440 (All-In).

River: (t4770) 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players, 2 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t4770

[Roland32]

little help? Should the multiway action and check raise make this a fold. I was going to fold but the oppurtunity to go up a possible 4500 on first hand made it worth the gamble.

Fold preflop to the raise. AJo doesnt play well oop to a preflop raiser. Otherwise, fold the flop. How much money are you going to make if a diamond falls? Is your jack flush even going to be good?
I guess by the time I turn a big two pair, I'd have to decide based on what level of skill my opponents most likely have. If this is a 10$ tourney, for example, Id go with it. If it were a 100$ buy-in, I'd fold.

I've only just started evaluating hands on here so I'd appreciate feedback on my feedback [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

First of all what buyin is it? This is important.

Preflop, well you should be folding AJo UTG, and definately folding it to a raise. With four players on the flop it is likely you will not have the best hand.

On the flop again you should be folding with three diamonds out, as you are finished if anyone has two diamonds with four opponents. Even if a fourth diamond falls it is likely you will be beaten. CO doesn't worry me too much as he seems to be continuing from his preflop raising. Two other callers suggests someone else has the flush.
With so many people carrying on at this stage it is likely you are going to be allin anyway.

The jack gives you the added problems of the straight, and the only situation you look like surviving here is AQ.

Far too many hands will beat you here, you are just walking into further trouble. Throw this as early as possible.

[Roland32]

I know a lot of players here diagree w AJo but I play it profitably and do not believe it is a leak. But with that said I was playing this hand as a draw from the flop on. Unfortunately I had all half outs, not sure if I hit Ill win. Hence the confusion.

[Uppercut]

I fold AJo here UTG in level 1 approximately 100% of the time.

On the flop it is unlikely you have the best hand.

When I first read this HH I immediatly put CO on AK. Another possible holding is AQ with the Q of dimonds. With either case, you are in deep trouble.

I would have folded this on the flop (actually, I fold preflop). But since you played it to the turn, things get interesting. With this hand, you are looking to lose alot of chips.

This is a perfect example as to why AJo UTG is a deadly hand. I even muck AQo UTG here in most cases.

AJo UTG in the early game is not a bad hand because it doesn't have potential to make a hand, it is dangerous because when you make a hand with it, you are usually behind.

Unless you have some good post flop skills with experience, avoid all this trouble (and save your stack) by folding preflop.

AJo can be reasonably folded UTG. Once the OP limped, the problem is he got great pot-odds to call a smallish raise (esp. since he could bank on the MP1 to call as well).

While this flop is scary, I don't think that a made flush should worry you so much with the A and K both on board. What two diamonds would be making or calling raises preflop? Q10? 910? Probably not.

The more likely scenario is that someone has the nut-flush draw with QQ or AQo.

Either way, as much as you can't really ask for a better flop for your hand, the likelihood that you're beat or that your J-high flush won't be good is too high in a 4-way pot.

I either lead out at that flop to show strength and hope that people are playing weird hands or I play weak-tight and check-fold.

The way you played this hand left you with a difficult turn having a strong hand with redraws to a full house but up against likely holdings of a straight/set/nutflush draw etc.

[ QUOTE ]
I know a lot of players here diagree w AJo but I play it profitably and do not believe it is a leak. But with that said I was playing this hand as a draw from the flop on. Unfortunately I had all half outs, not sure if I hit Ill win. Hence the confusion.

[/ QUOTE ]

But you cannot really bet with any huge confidence with it. Hit an ace and can you win a large pot without hitting the jack as well? Not enough of the time. UTG you want to fold AJs, letalone offsuit.

[DyessMan89]

[ QUOTE ]
I fold AJo here UTG in level 1 approximately 100% of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

What are your standards UTG in Level 1? AA? AA-KK? 2 Jokers only?