Online Poker Forum - AQ in the BB with four limpers...

Pokergal812 · Full House Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 153 Location: Jersey

How do you generally play AQ in BB with lots of limps? This was in a 90 person MT SNG but I'm putting it under general because I would also appreciate feedback on if there's a difference between MTT, SNG's or Ring -- (for this example, let's just assume hero is around average stack)

I posted whole HH - because I'm wondering where/if I went wrong somewhere...

Too weak on turn and River? I hate being out of position!

Villain seemed like an OKish player. Showed some pretty good hands, showed some not so great hands... Hard to read.

I almost called the river, the bet was so little - thinking maybe he had a busted flush or straight draw but decided against it... I have a hard time calling with just AQ high -- I ultimately put him on a medium pocket pair - but maybe that's too tight and giving him too much credit?

Full Tilt Poker, $1 + $0.10 NL Hold'em Sit n' Go, 30/60 Blinds, 8 Players

UTG+1: 1,825
MP1: 3,745
MP2: 3,271
CO: 3,035
BTN: 6,410
SB: 16,329
Hero (BB): 2,905
UTG: 3,335

Pre-Flop: (90) A

Q

dealt to Hero (BB)
2 folds, MP1 calls 60, MP2 folds, CO calls 60, BTN calls 60, SB folds, Hero raises to 180, MP1 folds, CO calls 120, BTN folds

Flop: (510) 4

3

K

(2 Players)
Hero bets 350, CO calls 350

Turn: (1,210) 5

(2 Players)
Hero checks, CO checks

River: (1,210) 5

(2 Players)
Hero checks, CO bets 300, Hero folds

Results: 1,210 Pot
CO mucked and WON 1,210 (+680 NET)

thanks for you help!

adam27x · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:08 am Post subject:

When you raise pre, you should raise much larger, I generally raise (3 times the big blind) + (1 big blind per limper), or (180) + (180) = 360 in this case. If your opponents seem really bad (and in most $1 tournaments, they are) simply shoving here can be a fine play because they'll call with so much worse and rarely have better once they limp (that's what I'm doing here).

Playing out of position sucks, and that's one of the most important poker concepts that you can learn. We have to raise pre to get value from all of the worse hands. Your postflop play looks fine to me, but I'm really tempted to call the river bet since a lot of draws whiffed and we're getting 5:1 so we only need to be ahead 17% (1/6) of the time to make a call correct. If villain is really passive then I'd never call here, but if he seems spewy at all I just may look him up, even with Ace high.

Pokergal812 · Full House Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 153 Location: Jersey

thanks Adam... I'll raise a little more pre next time, so generally, even with a few limpers and in BB position - you think it's best to make the raise rather than just check and take the flop.

crtsports · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:45 pm Post subject:

We have all learned the hard way on this one. Always raise PF bc if you don't, a dreaded A2Q flop comes and a limper has just hit his set of 2's. Where is had you raised like 5BB, he might have mucked his low pocket pair.

Pokergal812 · Full House Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 153 Location: Jersey

adam27x · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:13 pm Post subject:

tiltslowplayer · Four of a Kind Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 254

Depends on what my psychic powers tell me the flop will be. Just use yours.

Pokergal812 · Full House Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 153 Location: Jersey

Riddim · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 2:03 pm Post subject:

Other than some extreme ICM spots in SNGs and satellites and stuff, I can't really think of any realistic situation where I wouldn't raise in this type of spot.

Clobug · High Card Joined: 28 Aug 2009 Posts: 16

extremely hard to play that hand oop in such a small buyin tourny.

It is likely that if you raise there you are getting calls from any ace, any king any pair and any 2 suited cards (esp when you only bump it 3x with four limps)
If you are going to raise there thinking that you have the best hand it is really only charging these hands to catch up.
When the king hits you can probly just chk fold, or if you think youre still ahead then chk call keeping the pot small when your hand is marginally ahead probly easier

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