Two Plus Two Newer Archives

If you raise preflop, then raise less than ~7xbb. I think the raise is unnecessarily large with a weak hand. Limping is often good, too, if you want to play a very small pot in excellent position. Limping is especially good if MP likes to limp/call AQ or AJ, then call down c-b's w/ top pair. A lot of live players play Ax for a lot of chips, and it's better to have a good hand to bet into them with in raised pots than trying to buy those pots with crap like A9s. Depite your positional advantage, you'll often get called down too often by marginal (but better hands) to make raising here a big winner for you. "How could you possibly call with that..." is a pretty frequent cry from aggressive internet players at my live game as their chips slide to the calling station in a wheel chair. It is generally less risky, and more profitable in a live game to limp A9s here looking to make a cheap flush by the turn or river where you can stack somebody who has a set, 2-pair, straight, or a lower flush. Alternatively, if you limp and miss the flop, the pot will be small enough to profitably bluff at with A-high if nobody wants it.

Once your raise gets reraised all in by a short stack, and then the limper in MP calls that push, I think you should consider pushing instead of just calling. Despite the 5:1 pot odds, you are likely behind the SB, and you are probably behind MP, as well, who most likely has a small pair or maybe AJ/AQ/AT. So, if you want to play, it would probably be best to get rid of MP with a push (making him fold most of his hands because he would usually perceive your move as being at least QQ-AA/AK) to just take your chances vs SB's 99-AA,AK/AQ. Vs SB's range you have just shy of 30% equity while you will get much better than 2:1 pot odds as long as you can make MP go away preflop. The push preflop works as long as you have a very tight image. If MP thinks you're LAGGY preflop, then calling is probably best due to the pot odds. But getting yourself into a big pot with weak holdings is generally a mistake even if you do have the button.

As played to the turn, I don't see what MP could have that you possibly beat other than a bluff. I think he proably has A8s, or 88, or AT-AQ. He might have an over-played flush draw, or maybe just a pair of 8s, but since you raised preflop, I think he would have to worry that you have an ace with a good kicker UNLESS he was happy that you had an ace with a good kicker because he has that beaten.

Therefore, I think you can fold the turn as played.

If you don't fold, then push the turn. If you just called the turn, then you'd have to call any river.