Can I get away from AQ here?
 

$100+10 live NLHE tourney, 18 players, 10K in starting chips with 30 minute levels.

I have been playing very tight at aggressive table, raising with 4 hands and winning 3 of them. There has been lots of limping and I have missed a ton of drawing hands/small PP. Thanks to that, had gotten down to 5400 until I limp-jammed with JJ which held vs 99. Now up to 12.5K.

With the blinds at 200/400 a man, I raise it up UTG to 1600 with the A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

MP, with 10.2K, calls the raise, a stoic player who has been playing many pots, and has been making small stabs at those pots which have been reraised and folded. He is what I call an "Any A-X" player, especially suited. He got lucky 5 hands before when he got it all-in with A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] vs AKo on an A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] board, which hit a flush with the 10 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] on the river.

The blinds fold, HU, two players, pot @ 3800.

Flop: A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

I check, MP bets 800.
I c/r to 3200.
MP jams for 5K more into a 8600 pot, making a waving motion with his hands towards me.

Hero? Is there ANY way I can fold here?

Re: Can I get away from AQ here?
 

I wouldn't fold to the push.

I wouldn't raise 4xBB with AQo UTG with no antes.

More standard to just cbet the flop.

Re: Can I get away from AQ here?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I would probably fold to the push.

I wouldn't raise 4xBB with AQo UTG with no antes.

More standard to just cbet the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]Unless he's a superdonk who won't fold if he flops omg top pair, you can fold. Your description of him tells me his range is probably AK a set or 2 pr. Sane players don't shove here with AT or weaker against a player who isn't super aggressive. You don't really beat anything but a bluff imo.
If he has Ax ss, you're ahead by a little and I'm fine with folding.

Re: Can I get away from AQ here?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't fold to the push.

I wouldn't raise 4xBB with AQo UTG with no antes.

More standard to just cbet the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bad raise preflop, 2.5 - 3xBB better.

Continuation bet that flop, because CRing here commits you in sticky situations and you are deep enough to play multistreet poker here (especially if you bet 2.5xBB).

He bet 800 into a huge pot, which to me is the sign of weakness. I probably thinks you are betting that flop with an A, and he's kinduv a idiot on a heater, so expect to see a flush draw here more times than not. He may just think you are FOS and have a weak ace, which is not entirely wishful thinking. The pot is too big and you are getting reasonable odds. I'd expect to see Ksxs a really good chunk of the time here.

Barry

Re: Can I get away from AQ here?
 

Villain could have made a weak lead with a set or 2-pair, looking for action. He could also have made a blocking bet with a flush draw or have a weaker ace. I don't like it, but I think you have pot odds to call at this point.

I would probably flat call the flop bet, but your raise is OK.

Re: Can I get away from AQ here?
 

In these low buy in mtts with AQ and tp I'm shipping it in. You're ahead of worse Aces and fds enough to make this +EV. I agree with the smaller pf raise and a value bet on the flop, it would suck to give him odds to draw, lose value from a worse A, and it makes your decisions a little easier.

Re: Can I get away from AQ here?
 

I do admit the mistake here was not c-betting the flop, although I know this player would also play A10-A3 and I wanted to try and trap him and maybe get him to aggrodonk those holdings. In the end, I should of cold called and tried to keep this pot small.

I do want to ask: what's the difference between me raising 4x's the BB and 3x's? I thought (via HOH) that the whole point of raising with AQ is to discourage action because it IS just Ace high.....or at least get it heads up, and in crappy position at a gambling table, doesn't me raising 4x's UTG do that? Is one BB going to make a difference whether or not I continue with the hand vs someone with a similiar chip stack?

It does give away some strength of my holding but I'm gonna do that anyways b/c of my image as well as the stigma with the UTG position in general.

Re: Can I get away from AQ here?
 

[ QUOTE ]
He is what I call an "Any A-X" player, especially suited.

[/ QUOTE ]

If this is your read...why would u ever consider folding here?

Re: Can I get away from AQ here?
 

The whole idea of raising a smaller amount is:

1) Generally in the middle and late stages of a mtt 2.5xbb gets the same result as 4xbb.

2) It commits less chips which allows you to make a smaller cbet.

3) It commits less chips when you're stealing.

Now there are times I'll raise more with a monster vs a donk calling station in the bb because I know he will call with garbage and I want to build a big pot. Most of the time I stick in a 2.5xbb raise whether I'm stealing on the button with 67s or I'm utg with AA in the middle and late stages of a mtt.

Re: Can I get away from AQ here?
 

when you raise 4x instead of 2.5-3x it just juices the pot even quicker and with 30 or so bb's you'll get pot committed faster. I don't play live but online I find that you usually get the same action whether you raise it 3 or 4x (or 2.5x later on), so it's essentially your first opportunity to exercise pot control.

I agree with what almost everyone...tough to find a fold here as played. Heck I'd almost spite call just because of villain's retard sized flop bet. Really though we're getting good odds and doing well against villain's range.