AQo - Button, Why raise?

[iNsChris]

What is the reason i'm raising, I never understand this hand.

Say im on the button, 5limpers and i raise? They all call..

WHy do i raise, I must read SSH again(preflop section) but whats the point in raising?

Should i limp against lots of callers?

Thanks.

[robracing]

You are raising because a hand like AQo plays better against fewer opponents. You are hoping to drive at least a couple of the limpers out.

By the way, on The Poker Channel in the UK last night, I saw Chris "Jesus" Ferguson say that AQ is the hand that he believes costs the average poker player more money than any other, so go carefully!

[iNsChris]

It seems it costs me loads, Hence i dont understand raising. Certainly not in micros late position where everyone calls a raise for one bet anyhow.

Then a K drops [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[Twitch1977]

The raise is not so much designed to drive out opponents, but rather to push your preflop equity edge.

Lets say 5 people limp, you're on the button with AQo, if you raise and say the big blind and all the limpers call that's 7 people in the pot.

So everyone at this point has contributed roughly 14% of the money in the pot. (Rounding numbers for easier reading.)

Now with a hand like AQo you've probably got a stronger hand then at least half the people, there's a good chance you have the best hand out of all of them. So even though you've only contributed 14% of the money in the pot your hand is probably going to win more then that, say maybe it'll win 20% of the time (Just a rough estimate culled from Pokerstove vs random hands.)

This creates an equity imbalance in your favor, you're contributing 14% of the money but you expect to win more then 14% of the time which would be your fair share. To exploit this imbalance even further you put in the raise since that will double the amount this imbalance will win you.

I believe SSHE has a section on this but I don't have the book in front of me. But in short you're raising because your hand figures to be better more then your 'fair share' of the time (preflop equity advantage).

I hope I explained this somewhat coherently [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

T

[SheridanCat]

[ QUOTE ]
What is the reason i'm raising, I never understand this hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's all about equity in low limits. Twitch explains that very well. Remember that post flop you're probably going to be behind and will have to let the hand go. You might see the turn, but if you don't have something by then, you don't want to pay big bets against many opponents. Read SSHE for more on playing overcards.

AQo plays best against few opponents, preferably headsup, in my opinion.

In the end, if you fold AQo on the button preflop with many limpers in a low limit game, you won't be making a large mistake.

[manpower]

[ QUOTE ]
In the end, if you fold AQo on the button preflop with many limpers in a low limit game, you won't be making a large mistake.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ebidy ebidy ebdiy wha?!?!?!

You will in fact be making a large mistake if you fold AQo pf on the button after many limpers. You will also be making a large mistake if you fail to raise. This is straight out of SSHE, remember the ATs in a multiway pot example?

[beekeeper]

Unless you're the one opening the pot with AQ, perhaps raise only if you have a read on the table and know your raise would push out most of the field.

There are a lot of flops that can hurt you.

[Demos]

You raise with AQo on the button because most/all of the hands that have limped in are worse.

[tylerdurden]

[ QUOTE ]
You raise with AQo on the button because most/all of the hands that have limped in are worse.

[/ QUOTE ]

Winner. It's a value raise.

[tylerdurden]

[ QUOTE ]
You are raising because a hand like AQo plays better against fewer opponents. You are hoping to drive at least a couple of the limpers out.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're on the button. The only people you're likely to drive out are the blinds. Anyone that's already voluntarily put in a bet is going to call one more.