50NL - did I totally misplay AQo?

[alex-star]

Do you guys raise here PF? Can I call the turn RR? The villain is 20/11 after 100 hands or so.

No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
9 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $22.28
UTG+1: $11.06
Hero: $51.92
MP2: $80.34
MP3: $57.50
CO: $20
Button: $30.90
SB: $17.75
BB: $37.50

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls, 2 folds, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds, BB checks.

Flop: A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($3.25, 6 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $3</font>, 2 folds, BB calls, UTG calls, UTG+1 folds.

Turn: 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($12.25, 3 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, <font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $9.5</font>, BB folds, <font color="#cc0000">UTG raises all-in $18.78</font>, Hero ??

[CalledDownLight]

Raise preflop. Its an easy call now.

[Chargers In 07]

[ QUOTE ]
Raise preflop. Its an easy call now.

[/ QUOTE ]Yeah, you're getting over 4:1 on the turn c/r. Why didn't you raise pf?

[alex-star]

I don't like raising here PF since I am not sure whether it'll buy me position or not. Without position on the flop I might have to take a stab at in the dark, with my hand being so-so in a multi-way pot.

Is my reasoning way off?

Thanks!

[seki]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you guys raise here PF? Can I call the turn RR?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, Yes.

[ QUOTE ]
Is my reasoning way off?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.


Raise for any number of reasons. AQo is horrible multiway, and horrible in small pots. Not to mention the free money you're passing up with typical PFR-cbet.

[Bluegrassplayer]

Position is nice, but not necessary here. I would much rather have a head ups pot than position on 5 people seeing the flop with me.

[GrandmaStabone]

Turn call is a no brainer getting ~4-1.

[FireStorm]

Raise preflop, as played call the turn.

[toymach776]

Pf raise is a must. Seems that you may feel uncomfortable playing AQ in EP and if thats the case then there is no shame in folding if you dont want to raise and arent good enough to play it OOP postflop. Flop is fine Turn is fine and snapcall his raise. Your geting ~4-1 vs shortie!! His range here is alot of A. If he had JJ, AJ, AK, A9 oh well.

[Albert Moulton]

In this kind of preflop situation, I'll usually limp, occasionally fold, and occasionally raise. So, I'm not a proponent of "fold or raise" here.

However, if I'd decided to limp preflop, then I'd probably check the turn to induce a bluff from somebody else on the river. Remember, you limped to play a small pot. So, play a small pot. Your open trips shouldn't change that, since it isn't much of a monster in an unraised pot.

So, having limped AQo in a multi-way pot, if you stab at the flop of AAX, then many in the hand will think you might be stealing and call with Jx or worse. And they'd certainly call with Ax for at least one bullet, even if it's A2s. Then, if you check the turn, a player still in the pot will often be convinced that you have less than an ace (since you'd have raised AK/AQ/AJ, right? and you'd have bet with Ax otherwise, right?), and bet out at the river with many hands that you beat, as well as all those pesky limped hands that beat you (like A9s). So, after checking your 3-aces on the turn, you can call a pot-sized bet on the river (unless you river a full house, in which case push) and win (or lose) a nice medium-sized pot with your cleverly disguised trip aces with 2nd best kicker.

And, if somebody wants to play for stacks, then let your trip aces go unless you have a read that they are reckless or will overplay Ax without the full house.

The thing is that once you bet the flop AND the turn, you are announcing, "I have a good ace!" That will fold out all worse hands, and get the better ones salivating.

As played, Grandma's right, "Turn call is a no brainer getting ~4-1." The guy pushing is short-stacked and might very well be overplaying Ax without the full house, but I doubt it.