AJo vs KK, should I have just folded?

[nebuer]

$0.05/$0.1 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com

Stacks:
UTG (<font color="#0000cc">$10.95</font>)
UTG+1 (<font color="#0000cc">$9.80</font>)
CO (<font color="#0000cc">$2.14</font>)
Hero (<font color="#0000cc">$10.47</font>)
SB (<font color="#0000cc">$11.92</font>)
BB (<font color="#0000cc">$9.44</font>)

Pre-flop: J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] is dealt to Hero. (BTN)
<font color="#cc0000">UTG raises to $0.4</font>, <font color="#777777">2 folds</font>, Hero calls $0.4, <font color="#777777">2 folds</font>

Flop: 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($0.95, 2 players)
<font color="#cc0000">UTG bets $0.3</font>, <font color="#cc0000">Hero raises to $0.6</font>, UTG calls $0.3

Turn: 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($2.15, 2 players)
UTG checks, <font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $1</font>, UTG calls $1

River: T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($4.15, 2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

Final Pot: ($3.95)
UTG shows: K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
Hero shows: J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

UTG wins $3.95 ( won +$1.95 )
Hero lost -$2.00


I was thinking on the flop, it most likely missed him and he was just making a cont. bet, so I raised him to see if he'd fold. After he called I had an idea he might be on a draw, and that got even more in my mind after he checked the turn. Did I do the right thing?

[ranka]

fold preflop.
fold flop.
check/fold turn.
check/fold river.

[ QUOTE ]
I was thinking on the flop, it most likely missed him and he was just making a cont. bet, so I raised him to see if he'd fold.

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How about pocket fives, pocket sevens, pocket nines, AcKc, any overpair?

And your flop raise was too small - never ever best hands folding here.

[nebuer]

Fold preflop on the button with AJo? Why fold the flop? Could you please explain?

I wouldn't have thought he would raise preflop with pocket 5s or pocket 7s, pocket 9s I think would've been possible.

[ElectricWaffles]

It's a good idea to post the limit you're playing at in the thread title, otherwise lots of people wont bother to read the thread. E.G. 'NL10: AJ on the button, bluffing the flop.' would be better.

I think a call preflop is okay, but you've got to play with caution because AJ can be dominated by AQ+.

On the flop you should just fold. A whole bunch of hands he's raising with PF are still beating you, as ranka said, AQ+ and any pair.

If you're going to bluff the flop you need to base it upon a read better than "He might be CBetting here, I would". How often does he CBet? What are his preflop stats (to figue out what he's raising with)? Does he fold too much/little? Is he scared of this flop? What does he think you've got? What hand do you want to represent? And so on.

If, based on your reads, you think a bluff is appropriate then you can go from there. Also, I think if you're going to bluff then you either call (representing a set or a draw to the clubs) or you bet a decent amount, not a tiny minraise, make a real bet. If you're going to do it then you've got to do it with some conviction (bet more than a dollar basically).

After he calls your flop bet the game's up I think and you need to check/fold. Maybe you could try and bluff the turn, but only after setting up the move first, which you didn't do on the flop.

[ranka]

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Fold preflop on the button with AJo?

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Yes, if you want, you may play AJo but if you hit your ace are you sure your ace is good? I am avoiding AJo in raised pots - I fold or I 3bet depends on reads. This is not ERROR but I would avoid it in this limit.

[ QUOTE ]

Why fold the flop? Could you please explain?


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Did you hit something? Noooo and the key of this limit is: BET for value, DO NOT BLUFF. Thats why I would abandon this hand.

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I wouldn't have thought he would raise preflop with pocket 5s or pocket 7s, pocket 9s I think would've been possible.

[/ QUOTE ]
I always open-raise pocket 5s and pocket 7s in each position.

[nebuer]

Thanks a heap for the replies. I'm going to stop bluffing completely (not including CBets) until I get more experience, and start playing with people with more experience [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I really need to think more about what he could have, I don't think an overpair even came into my head at the time. Ah well it'll all come with practice [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[ElectricWaffles]

=) You'll get there bud. I'm still learning all the time, I think that applies to most people.

I play at similar stakes to you. I think cutting out the bluffing is a good idea, unless you're really really confident it's going to work. When I started at FRNL, bluffing cost me a fortune. Leave the bluffing to the fancy pants NL200 players =p

Just wait till you get a genuine hand and valuebet, that'll win you chips and save you making tough decisions.

BTW, dont play people with more experiance, they know when to fold. Better to play against donkeys who dont know when they're beat.

[RapidEvolution]

Calling early position raises with AJo can get you in a whole mess of trouble as the likely hands are either dominating you (AK/AQ) or are paired already. Remember that you want situations where worse hands will give you action. Unless you manage to flop 2pair or a straight, you're not gonna get much action unless you're beat.

When someone raises from early position (especially UTG), putting them on a range of 99+/AQ+ is a pretty safe bet. Keeping this mind can keep you out of a lot of trouble. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

As for the actual hand, I'd fold preflop, unless I knew the villain folded to 3bets a good amount of the time and then I mightrepop it. Calling keeps the pot small, but again, you're not really getting anything unless you hit 2 pair (unless you flop an ace, villain has a underpair and refuses to go away...but even if this happens, you should be worried about him holding AK/AQ.

His flop be looks really weak, and he might have been betting with an AK or AQ. If you're going to raise here, make it a real raise (say $1.25). If he calls, you can definitely put him on an overpair and act accordingly. I think it's better just to fold the flop though.