Strange (to me) advice in HEFAP

[AdamL]

p. 162, covering loose games preflop:

"In a weak game, where many players are playing too many hands and going too far with their hands, if the player under the gun limps in and you have AJo and there are several players still to act behind you, you should fold. In fact even if you were the player under the gun you should probably fold."

Really confused about this. Is this because raising won't knock anyone out, and will just make a huge pot? Is there some problem with the equity of AJo?

Thanks for your help.

[Stew]

[ QUOTE ]
p. 162, covering loose games preflop:

"In a weak game, where many players are playing too many hands and going too far with their hands, if the player under the gun limps in and you have AJo and there are several players still to act behind you, you should fold. In fact even if you were the player under the gun you should probably fold."

Really confused about this. Is this because raising won't knock anyone out, and will just make a huge pot? Is there some problem with the equity of AJo?

Thanks for your help.

[/ QUOTE ]

You should read Getting Started in Hold 'Em and you will see why this is a CLEAR fold. And, no it doesn't address this exact situation, if I recall correctly. But, it does address the importance of starting hands and the factors that give hands +EV and in this particular hand, there are at least two factors against this hand being played. One is position and the other is the fact that the hand does not play well in a large field (since this is a loose game). Thus, it seeems a fold is appropriate.

[AdamL]

"Does not play well vs a large field" = -EV? Or can it be just somewhat +EV?

Folks over the microlimits at .5/1 are regularly raising with AJo UTG here.

[New York Jet]

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Folks over the microlimits at .5/1 are regularly raising with AJo UTG here.

[/ QUOTE ]
That is probably why they are still playing at the .5/1.

[La Brujita]

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That is probably why they are still playing at the .5/1.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it is a mistake how big of a mistake do you think it is really?

[xxx]

Abdul had a great quote about hands like this:

Big unsuited cards are what make you money in holdem. When your opponents play them.

[AmarilloJim1]

HEFAP also says to play up to group 5 hands in ep in loose games, so this is confusing. I agree with the original poster that this is confusing; however, I am only a small/states micro limit player.

AJo is group 4 BTW

[uuDevil]

[ QUOTE ]
Abdul had a great quote about hands like this:

Big unsuited cards are what make you money in holdem. When your opponents play them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not if you can count on them to regularly hold worse hands. I couldn't find the Ed Miller post I went looking for, but I did find this, which should do:

Context

[ QUOTE ]
If you are in lots of six-handed pots, your opponents are playing BAD hands. If your opponents are playing BAD hands, AJ and KQ look quite good.
.
The bottom line is, it is completely wrong to say that AJ and KQ play poorly multiway.


[/ QUOTE ]

Keep in mind that SSH and HPFAP are discussing games with different kinds of opponents. Microlimit players are most likely NOT making a mistake raising AJo utg.

[TimM]

What is all this? I raise AJo from EP every time as long as no one raised before me. After doing this 764 times this year, at limits from 2/4 to 10/20, I am up 0.12 BB per hand.

[binions]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That is probably why they are still playing at the .5/1.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it is a mistake how big of a mistake do you think it is really?

[/ QUOTE ]

Conventional wisdom is that you raise out hands you dominate (KJ, QJ, JT, AT-A2, etc), but you'll never get AK, AQs, AA-JJ to lay down. You might get a good player to fold AQo if your image is good.