Live 20/40 -- AQo in small blind

[signal]

Stakes: 20/40
Game Conditions: Mostly loose-passive with one TAG and two other solid winners. Lots of limpers.

Principal Players:

UTG+1: Loose, bad, irrational player. He has shown tendencies to play such hands as 53o and 52s for two to three bets preflop. In other instances he open mucked AKs on the button face up and also open mucked when it was obvious that everyone was playing the board. So, yeah, very unpredictable.

MP: Loose-passive player. His preflop raises usually indicates a premium holding, but postflop raises/aggression are not as predictable.


Preflop: I am dealt A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

UTG+1 limps, MP limps, folded to me in sb. I don't raise. BB checks.

Now, I just just looked at the Ed Miller recommendations and he lists this as raise. In this spot here, with loose passive calling players I usually go 50% call, 50% raise. My thinking is I can see a flop cheaper and let them make mistakes. Is this a huge mistake for me? Should AQo mostly be auto-raise in this situation?

Flop: (4 sb) 10 8 4 - all [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]'s.

Oops. So with this board, the preflop raise would've made this hand easier to play, right?

BB checks. UTG+1 bets and the MP player raises.

So, I fold, reflecting on how bad I suck at poker.

I need to play these marginal situations better and use them more to my advantage.

Any advice med stakes gurus?

[CardSharpCook]

Siganl,

yes. It is a huge mistake not to raise this PF. Listen to me: There is no rule that says you have to bet if you miss the flop. Now it turns out that 80% of the time it is still right to bet the flop when you miss with this hand, but do not lock yourself into thinking that you're costing yourself 2SB by raising here when you miss the flop. You don't have to bet the flop. AQ CRUSHES their range right here and 4handed is a great way to play AQ. Additionally, you are folding out the BB some percentage of the time making it 3handed which is even better for AQ. If you are uncomfortable with the basic theory that "aggression wins pots", raise here because the plurality of the money that goes in PF comes back to you. There are times when I don't want to raise KJ here. I'm tired of missing flops. I KNOW they are calling down when I miss. These are the times that I remind myself that "continuation bets" are not required - and I raise.

[cgrohman]

Raise pre-flop.

[Niediam]

Yes preflop was a huge mistake.

Turn is an easy fold.

[mwette]

I think the only situation not to bet preflop is if there are lots of players in. Then, if you hit on the flop if you have the option to check-raise and drive out the chasers. With four players in, I'd bet.

[Niediam]

[ QUOTE ]
I think the only situation not to bet preflop is if there are lots of players in.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bah. Push your large edges.

[signal]

Here's the flaw in my game: I have been mostly concentrating on postflop play lately; that's where the beauty and intricacy of poker lies, I thought. Still true, but I need to emphasize proper preflop play as well.

I have been doing well with blind defense lately, but my leak is not raising enough out of the SB.

So in a typical 20/40 live game: raise out of the blinds with AA-99, AKs-ATs, KQs-KJs, AKo, AQo in an unraised pot. Add any more hands, release some of these? These are Ed Miller's Rec's FWIW.

Thanks everyone for the feedback calling attention to my leak. This thread hopefully will keep these situations where aggression out of the blinds is optimal permanently tattooed in me grey matter.

Results:

Flop Cont'd: UTG+1 calls MP's raise.

Turn: (4 BB) A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

UTG+1 checks and MP bets. UTG+1 calls.

River: (6 BB) brick.

Checked through. Both had medium [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]'s. And one of them paired the 10 and the other the 8 so the denouement was substandard.

Bonus Question: What is the minimal holding on this flop that you would play against these titans of poker (MP's raise)? What do you call, what do you 3ball MP with?

[CardSharpCook]

I suppose I'd stick around with AT. But you have to understand that I am a stubborn SOB and I like to pay people off as I don't so much like to fold.

[that_pope]

I became a better player when I learned to raise AJo in the BB when there are 2-3 limpers, and raising A9o on the button/cut off after a few limpers. RAISE IT PLEASE.

[ssmallz]

Bet the flop: You've got 2 overs a great draw and a chance to take it down UI