very basic NL pre-flop question

[Brian]

You're playing in a Stars MTT. Blinds are 15/30, and you have a slightly below average stack of T1500 (all start T1500). There are two unknown limpers to you on the Button, and you have AJs. What's your play?

[Jason Strasser]

Limp behind.

[cferejohn]

Raise to 150.

There. everyone agrees. Simple.

Oh wait, what?

[The4thFilm]

Raise enough so no one calls. Post flop let it go pretty easily if you get there.

[Tommy R]

I would raise.

If you show strenght preflop you might be able to steel the pot if a scary board hits or get a free card if you have a chance of completing your hand.

Also if you hit your hand and you bet and cop a re-raise you will know to respect this more than if you just called pre-flop.

[Jason Strasser]

Hmm. I guess raising is valid. I like to play this type of hand with a small pot. I have a better chance of winning them when it gets checked to me and I bet.

I think the thinking "raise so much so everyone folds" is extremely dangerous thinking, and will leave you very screwed when an intelligent or tricky player catches on.

-Jason

[cferejohn]

[ QUOTE ]
Hmm. I guess raising is valid. I like to play this type of hand with a small pot. I have a better chance of winning them when it gets checked to me and I bet.

I think the thinking "raise so much so everyone folds" is extremely dangerous thinking, and will leave you very screwed when an intelligent or tricky player catches on.

-Jason

[/ QUOTE ]

I was being a bit facetious. It depends on the position and character of the limpers. If they are unknown and they limped in LP, I'll raise every time. If at least 1 limper was in EP, I would limp along.

I'm not necessarily trying to get everyone to fold, I'm trying to isolate with what I think is the best hand with position. It's not a huge raise. It's 3x the BB plus 1 BB for each limper.

[cferejohn]

[ QUOTE ]
Raise enough so no one calls. Post flop let it go pretty easily if you get there.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's, umm, unspecific. How much is enough? Let it go? What if you flop an A? A J? A flush draw?

I make about a pot sized raise and am comfortable playing AJ in postion against what is probably a worse hand if called...

[M.B.E.]

If my hand were AJ offsuit on the button, then I absolutely am raising to 150 as Cferejohn suggested (regardless of what position the limpers are in).

With AJ suited I am a lot more inclined to limp behind, on these stack sizes. The reason is that those times I flop a flush draw (and no pair), I will be much happier with a small multiway pot, rather than a two- or three-way pot that is getting fairly large in relation to my stack size.

[betgo]

The problem with making a large raise to pick up the pot is that this early in this type a tournament a lot of players play like calling stations and/or maniacs. I raise mainly for value this early.

I would raise, because you have position and probably the best hand. A raise to 150 would normally be standard. Later in the tournament or at a considerably higher buyin, that is the move I would make. You could raise less, since there is good chance you will be called no matter what.

Whether to raise and how much is somewhat dependent on how comfortable you are committing chips.