AQo on the button -- a re-raising hand?

[GoadToad]

I'm not sure how to play AQo on the button against a raise.

Should I generally be calling, or re-raising (assume non-tricky opponents in the range of 30/10 to 40/15, no limpers, 6max)

I used to call. I've been re-raising lately, with mixed results. I've been re-raising a 4bet raise to 12-14 bets.

[avfletch]

AQo is a really tricky hand to play in a spot like this and I think you're missing a lot of factors that you need to include in making such a decision.

For starters, what position is the open raiser in and does position factor into his play? If the 30/10 has any clue about position then reraising him when he's UTG is probably spewing chips while doing so with him n the CO looks real good to me.

How deep are the stacks and how do you plan to handle his various reactions on various flops? If he's short, what do you intend to do against a push? For typical 100BB stacks how do you feel about betting A high flops when he calls pre and checks the flop to you?

Also, how does this factor into your overall strategy? Taking this one situation in isolation is quite hard unless considered with yours plans for other hands against the same guy. Is AQo at the bottom of your range because you've got a nitty AK/JJ+ 3bet range or are you lagging it up and reraising with all kinds of holds. Either way, why?

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Cliff notes - it depends /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[GoadToad]

Thanks for the points. His position is an important factor and I have to start thinking about that more. At NL10 this was largely irrelevant since few opponents pay attention to their position.

As a somewhat laggy player, I was generally calling with AQ except against known light raisers. I decided to start raising it when I switched to playing quite tight (around 20/13) to move up to NL20, where my laggy style was getting me crucified. So I do understand that the table image is an important part of being able to reraise with AQo.
I'm definitely betting checked A high flops, but probably folding to large raises (althoug obviously I can't use that line too often against the same set of opponents or they will start killing me). If he likes to take shots, I might bet weak and call a raise. If he's a calling station I might wait until turn to bet, for pot control.

Generally in NL10 I didn't 3-bet much except against known lagtards with AK/JJ+. It's something I need to learn and use more. The reason I didn't 3-bet much in NL10 is because so many players there will shove with anything and until you've seen them you can't tell which ones are shoving with any 2 and which have a big pair. I don't want to play for stacks with KQs,AQo, 88-TT preflop, but I don't want to fold to KJo either. Since there seems to be less random shoving in NL20, it seems I need to learn when to use re-raising.

My general strategy for moving into NL20 is to play quite tight preflop (around 20/13), somewhat laggy in early streets, and very tight for big bets until I understand what the players are doing. Big bets is where I got killed in my first attempts at NL20. The first way I learned to play in NL10 simply did not work at all in NL20, and I had to go back and learn a more taggy strategy.