$55: AJs - Play a TPTK Hand That's a Disaster with a Non-Master

[microbet]

Preflop, I would not push. I think calling is good.

On the flop I probably lead for 250. The rest is hard. I was going to answer before, but I keep thinking that it depends on villians.

[pineapple888]

Pre-flop, a limp seems fine. Raise to 300 if you must raise, but IMHO there are too many people behind to act. I see absolutely no reason to push.

Post-flop, I bet a little more (275), then let it go if I get a raise followed by a call. Calling behind is the worst move because you are pot-committed at that point, so you should push if you don't fold.

My two cents.

[45suited]

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If the limpers are loose and not tricky I would push preflop. 175 chips without showdown sounds appealing and I don't want to see this flop 7 ways with my stack size.

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Agreed. Also, I think that the flop is push / fold territory after CO's raise and button's cold call. As weak as it feels, I'm leaning toward folding. Those mini-raises usually mean something and it ain't good. If you're not up against a set, there's still a ton of cards that can beat you and nobody's going anywhere.

Again, I like the push pre-flop unless the limpers appear to be tricky for the reason that Durron gave.

[J-Lo]

ALOT of responses for a push, this is excessive! Raise to 175 and play some poker (if the limpers are loose or weak)... Many to act behind you, and AJ is a marginal hand. I'd rather fold than call, and raise than fold... Don't be afraid to play some poker, and don't be afraid to lose a few chips or all of 'em, if u feel your hand is best. But DON'T push 900 chips when if u get called it will be with a hand that has you TOTALLY DOMINATED, CRUSHED.

Independent question: For the people advocating a push, would u push in this position if the blinds were higher (50/100), if it was folded to you? I'd rather push with a limper than if no one had limped...

Back to hand:

If u raised preflop, go broke on this flop. You didn't so, After u get min raised and cold called, fold. What's up with the stop n go? what was the purpose-- better hands won't fold, will worse hands min raise, cold call 1/2 thier stack? I know there are many donks on party, but i don't think they play this bad where u will get payed off here...

[tigerite]

I would not push pf here, and I'm definitely one for doing that a lot. AQs, yes, push. AJs, nah.

I like your line a lot, maybe betting a little closer to the pot. The min raise and call are pretty [censored]. Probably a fold unless you have some good reads on them.

[downtown]

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What's up with the stop n go? what was the purpose

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I thought I could get a something like a pair + diamond draw to incorrectly fold the turn. In retrospect, even this hand was clearly not folding, but it was one of those situations where I felt like pushing a non-diamond turn had slim FE where immediately pushing did not. This was my quick and initial reaction, it was also probably a mistake due to playing too many tables at once.

You say you don't have reads, then don't you use PokerTracker + PA hud? You'd have all these nice little stats on them.

And is it crazy to think that you could either push or fold ont he flop after the raise and the call? Because you won't have much fold equity on the turn anyway, and it could be so that the raiser has JT/QJ/KJ and the caller a flushdraw (or perhaps a straight draw). If you really think they have a better hand than you, fold.

[downtown]

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You say you don't have reads, then don't you use PokerTracker + PA hud? You'd have all these nice little stats on them.

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I do have these. They were unknowns, so I guess if you have to have a read then I assume you're a donk if you're an unknown. IIRC, no villain had remarkable tight or loose stats, or I would have noted it at the time.

[FlyWf]

PF: Limp. Obviously.

There was no check raise on the flop, just a regular minraise. And you're obviously boned on the turn, I don't think you're scaring off the flush draw or a set, some of the straight draws just got there, and is there anything else they could have? I have no idea where you get away from this hand as played, but I think you're drawing very thin on the river.
Check on the flop, maybe? Field is big, I doubt it's getting checked around. Yeah, I like that more. You can raise, call, or fold as necessary on the action.

[avisco01]

In my view, pushing preflop is certainly an option. The limpers in front of you would have likely raised with hands that dominate you, and may not have as much to call you with should you push as you're all-in bet is a huge threat to their stacks. You have a hand that very well could be best right now and can take down a nice little pot without a flop. Taking inflection points into account, I think its time to get more aggressive with weaker than normal hands, and AJs qualifies in my mind. However, being that you didn't push and were raised on the flop after showing strength, I think the flop is a clear push or fold scenario. I'm not calling here as another 200 basically ties you to the pot regardless (so needless to say I like the push on the turn as it is your only option at that point). You've already put in half your stack by the turn, so calling the flop raise does no good. Get out while you can losing only the 250 you put in already, or push on the flop. Being that the pot is much larger than your stack, pushing with TPTK on the flop is probably your best move in my opinion. Make a stand now, you're laying 645 to win a pot that is currently 1300. Keep in mind that folding on the flop will leave you with 645 chips, which practically will put you in a desperate situation as the blinds are increasing rapidly. Thus, I think pushing preflop would have been best. Once you bet 200 on the flop, a quarter of your stack, I think you in effect tied yourself to it and had no other option than to push all-in behind the reraise and cold call. Will you have the best hand here? Its not likely given the action, but not entirely unlikely either. However, at this point, you basically have to hope to get lucky as your stack is reaching desperate shape. Just my two cents.