Ace Jack on the button

[bruce]

$1000 buyin NLHE at the Commerce. Second level with blinds
of 25/50. CO openraises for T150 He seems to be overly
aggressive. He has about T3000. I have around T2000. We
all start with T1500. I reraise to T475 with AJo on the button. He calls.

Flop comes Ks Kh 9c.

He checks and I bet T500. He calls.

Turn Ks Kh 9c Jd.

He checks, I check.

River a blank. He bets T600. What's my play? The pot if I call is T2625. If I lose I have around T500 in chips left. If I call I'm getting 4:1. I think my play on all
streets is certainly very debatable.

Comments appreciated.

I don't care if he is overly aggressive, you are putting in 1/4 of your stack preflop with a garbage hand, then putting in another 1/4 on the flop with nothing. Just fold it preflop man, you can get a better spot than this. You are building a HUGE pot preflop with a bad hand. HOWEVER, once you got there, and I think getting there was the mistake, I push the turn and hope he doesn't have a king/boat/straight, which it is pretty likely he has. You showed big strength preflop, your flop bet could mean nothing and he knows this. Push on turn or fold preflop.

[bruce]

Preflop, my biggest mistake was making the pot big. AJo is not a beauty, but against his range of hands it's probably
a favorite to a big favorite. Calling preflop may have been the best play. As it turns out I have half my stack
in on the flop with nothing. I have a very difficult time
calling on the button when the co raises BTF. I am programmed to reraise or fold when calling may be the best option. Do you like to call on the button when the co
openraises or is this a reraise or fold scenario, excluding pocket Aces, Kings, etc.?

Bruce

You shouldn't like playing AJo into raises, especially early. I can pick better spots vs LAGs (if thats what he is, how much is -overly- to you), as they provide them often enough. I REALLY like/favor a fold PF here, its early, 2nd level, you don't want to/ don't need to play this hand into raises at this point in time.

If it was suited, and I had a definite LAG read on him, plus I'm on the button, I maybe would venture a call. I still wouldn't like it though.

[bruce]

Excellent logic. Thx.

Bruce

[nath]

I don't think there's anything wrong with reraising a LAG opening from the CO when you have AJo on the button.
Don't know why you check the turn, though, unless you really think he has trip kings. A LAG, after all, is perfectly capable of calling with nothing and trying to take the pot away from you. (You could check the flop and bet the turn, but with your line you've put in nearly half your stack by the turn, so I probably get in the rest.)

[DireWolf]

Fenix, folding AJ here is way too weak. You talk about finding other situations. What are those? Wait for AA? I think this is definately a profitable situation.

now whether to call or reraise gets a little trickier. Have you seen him fold to reraises pf? how likely will the blinds come along. How does villan play post flop? is he tricky?

I think i call preflop here, unless you are pretty sure he will fold to the reraise. It gives you a lot more space to manuever post flop with these stacks.

The flop and turn can't be played differently, i don't think.

The river sucks. By just calling preflop this would have been easier. I think you have to call here. He can be pretty
sure you don't have a king. I think he will bet here with a jack/nine/air enough to make this call profitable.

[DyessMan89]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't care if he is overly aggressive, you are putting in 1/4 of your stack preflop with a garbage hand, then putting in another 1/4 on the flop with nothing. Just fold it preflop man, you can get a better spot than this. You are building a HUGE pot preflop with a bad hand. HOWEVER, once you got there, and I think getting there was the mistake, I push the turn and hope he doesn't have a king/boat/straight, which it is pretty likely he has. You showed big strength preflop, your flop bet could mean nothing and he knows this. Push on turn or fold preflop.

[/ QUOTE ]

AJo is a trash hand? Where do you play? Id love to play against you knowing this. It would be a blast.

[Exitonly]

[ QUOTE ]
Fenix, folding AJ here is way too weak. You talk about finding other situations. What are those? Wait for AA? I think this is definately a profitable situation.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is certainly not a garbage hand once it's bene folded to the CO... the reraise was a good play, and i'd even venture to say a push preflop would be fine. increase your stack by 15% and let him know you arne't going to be pushed around.

I call on the river here, and it's an alright line you took to get there.

[jwvdcw]

-I easily fold this preflop
-I like the aggression on the flop
-I like the check on the turn
-I fold on the end here. If he called your flop bet with nothing, then he deserves this pot and I give it to him.