AJ in early position

What do you do with AJ in early position when you have around 12BB at a full table?

Is it an automuck? Do you try to open for 3BB? In that case how easy is it to fold if someone comes over the top? If you get callers do you still play it for TPTK value? Is it a push preflop?

I dont really see any comfortable way to play this hand, please advise.

Well this would largely depend on the size of the other stacks at the table...but from reading harrington, he advocates raising AJ half the time and calling half the time when you arent under pressure...but you are just inside of his "orange zone" (M of 5-10)...so I would probably play this...and push probably a lot of the time...but again it largely depends on the stacks of the other players

Well, if you have only 12BB left, most likely there will be a couple of stacks that cover you left to act. Unless its a satelite bubble.

I'm more concerned about the middle stage of a regular tourney. Although I would also love to hear if you would change your play if this were at a 10/9 handed final table.
It just seems like an awkward spot. Is it push/fold? What if you have 14BB?

Yeah, it is an awkward spot...i think at a final table i would be more inclined to fold because I dont want to get knocked out by a big stack in 10th when there is usually 2 or 3 short stacks...with the payout structures as they usually are...i want to last as long as possible but A J is a little too weak for me to push (usually) at a final table with my stack size as it is OOP

[JohnG]

Depends on the dynamics, but generally I think I'd push if there was an ante, and fold if there wasn't.

[schwza]

[ QUOTE ]
Depends on the dynamics, but generally I think I'd push if there was an ante, and fold if there wasn't.

[/ QUOTE ]

sounds about right. no antes i'd push with 10x or so.

I asked the question because I was unhappy with a recent hand I played where in the first hour of a tourney I had $1200 and got AJos UTG+2, raised to 300 with 100/50 blinds, but ended up folding to a late position push, leaving me with 8BB and the blind coming at me in 2 hands. Bah.

And no this table didnt have any obvious loose callers that would have pushed back at an EP raise with less than AK/JJ+.

I guess with 12BB and no antes this is a fold (barring any favorable table read that would make you think you can get away with anything else.)

But why does having the ante change this to a push? If you had 2400 chips for example and the blinds are 200/100 25 ante then this is a push? Arent you going to get called by the same range that has you crushed?

[ZeroPointMachine]

Because you increase your stack by 550 instead of 300 when your push is not called. 22% increase vs. 12.5%. I always use the 15% cutoff and it serves me well. If pushing/raising/folding are close and the push can net me a 15% increase in stack size my default is to push.

[JohnG]

[ QUOTE ]
But why does having the ante change this to a push? If you had 2400 chips for example and the blinds are 200/100 25 ante then this is a push?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because now there is about 500 in the pot rather than 300, and an allin raise is not too big an overbet.

[ QUOTE ]
Arent you going to get called by the same range that has you crushed?

[/ QUOTE ]

You're hoping to win uncontested. And you're allin, rather than part way in, giving bad odds to any caller. And if called, you're not dead unless against AA. It's a better risk/reward.

Give me only 8 or 9X the blind and I'd likely raise allin without the ante.

I would consider limp/push depending on read from raiser.