UTG AJo I have t1350 blinds = 50/100 bb~ 4.5bb

[Maulik]

NL Texas Hold'em $10 Buy-in + $1 Entry Fee Trny:14341956 Level:4 Blinds(50/100) - Thursday, July 28, 20:28:07 EDT 2005
Table Table 11235 (Real Money)
Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 4: JOELSGOLD ( $495 )
Seat 3: winemonster ( $2125 )
Seat 7: Sac_King04 ( $1550 )
Seat 6: Hero ( $1300 )
Seat 2: Kogs1 ( $1345 )
Seat 9: bcarlzson ( $1185 )
Trny:14341956 Level:4
Blinds(50/100)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ Js Ad ]
Hero calls [100].
<font color="green"> its these situations that are killing me. I think this is a muck, given the bb is going to call and I'm UTG. I'm not certain I really like pushing all-in. Given this hand and my stack size I think its a marginal push and a marginal muck? </font>

[tigerite]

It's an extremely marginal push. I think I just lay this down, to be honest.

[Nick B.]

Why can't you make a normal raise. I would make it 275 approximately 100% of the time.

[SammyKid11]

I think it's a clear, yet distasteful, muck. You're UTG w/ AJo with 13xBB left, you very likely will get called - and you don't want that. Pick a better spot, even if it's with a worse hand.

[tigerite]

It's possible, but again, can you call an all-in? I guess it depends who from, but I still wouldn't feel comfortable about it?

[curtains]

Folding is fine as is making a normal raise, allin is too much. Also assuming the BB will call no matter what is wrong. People routinely fold with only 1/5th of your stack posted preflop.

[iMsoLucky0]

I'd raise it to 250 and pray I got the shortstack all in.

If a bigger stack pushes I probably fold (depending on the player).

Not that difficult a hand to play at all.

[SammyKid11]

[ QUOTE ]
Why can't you make a normal raise. I would make it 275 approximately 100% of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not a terrible idea, but what's your plan when someone pushes over the top of you? You prepared to CALL all-in with your AJo? You prepared to forfeit over 20% of your stack to a re-raise?

I think a normal raise in this situation will often leave you with an awkward decision to make. If you're confident enough in your reads of the table, then maybe a regular raise is a good play. If you don't feel you have a handle on most of your opponents -- just lay it down.

[Maulik]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why can't you make a normal raise. I would make it 275 approximately 100% of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not a terrible idea, but what's your plan when someone pushes over the top of you? You prepared to CALL all-in with your AJo? You prepared to forfeit over 20% of your stack to a re-raise?

I think a normal raise in this situation will often leave you with an awkward decision to make. If you're confident enough in your reads of the table, then maybe a regular raise is a good play. If you don't feel you have a handle on most of your opponents -- just lay it down.

[/ QUOTE ]



edit: I'm glad I played this hand re-played this tournament this has been very education.

If I took the line of raising ~2.5bb I think calling w/ 2:1 or better is good?

[Nick B.]

What is wrong with the bb calling? In order to not have to deal with a reraise, you would rather open push for 13bb, and completely lose any chance at information? If you make a normal raise and somebody overpushes (which everybody assumes will happen, for some unknown reason), and then somebody else calls all in, you can easily muck.

Also, when a bb is pot committed you can't go after them with trash hands that aren't a favorite over a random hand. With AJ, I wouldn't mind a race with a shortstack.