AQo UTG (1 Viewer)

[Meddler2]

Playing 1/2 NL at Texas Cardhouse last night.
I'm short stacked w $800 after a $200 buyin. All other stacks have me covered by a fairly large margin. Villain in this hand has over $1500, rarely limps, and after 4 hours has not had to show his hand once. He's positioned immediately to my right and I have no history with this guy other than last night.

Hero has been playing relatively ABC poker and has been able to take advantage of a few spots and few tilted players.

On this night, a $15 PF raise is only begging for 7 callers. Serious raises are $25 or more thus far.

The Hand:
Hero is UTG w and bets $25. action is folded around to the CO who calls along w villian in the BB.

The Flop:


Villain checks.
Hero bets $75 hoping to win pot now.
CO folds.
Villain raises to $250.

Action on Hero.

Call, fold, or raise?

Thanks

 

[dkersey]

with those stacks, I'd cash out and go home....too rich for my blood.

 

[Anthony]

Pretty interesting spot. I think flatting the 3b or folding both have it's merits. You're essentially hoping he has just a flush draw, best case scenario which you have approx 60-65% equity against, however a fair chunk of the time he's going to have a set of 6's or 7's here which you're almost drawing dead against. I think if the player seemed like a maniac whom could take the same line with a hand like AJo or 89o I'd call 3b and probably check/call to river. Whereas against a tighter player who doesn't seem to put in large raises without the coconuts I think you can make a pretty easy fold on the flop.

I'm no pro though, just my thoughts..

 

[Jimulacrum]

Looks like a spot where you're either a modest favorite or an enormous dog, and you'll be stuck playing for stacks if you call this one bet. Fold.

 

[Kain8]

Pack it up, pack it in. If you're not willing to go all-in with AQ here, then better to just fold. The worst thing you can do is flat call, have a blank like an offsuit deuce roll off, and the villain just sets you all-in. Villain can be checkraising with a set, a really weirdly played AK, or a funky A7 / A6 suited type hand.

Bottom line, what is he checkraising with that you're ahead of? Only a flush and/or straight draw. I'd muck pretty quickly and either not get involved in hands with him, or close up shop and be happy with your excellent session.

 

[Meddler2]

Hero takes a minute to decide what others have said above. What is V calling/raising with and does Hero want to play for his stack. $800 doesn't seem like much to V but hero can buy some new chippies if he can find a fold. Or does H get greedy and play for a new minty set of Paulsons?

 

[DrStrange]

It is a little late to be thinking preflop, but here we can see how things that look ok with shorter stacks aren't so good playing $800 deep (even if that is "short" for the table).

AQo is a "one pair" hand. When you play it, the goal is to make top pair with a good or top kicker. But playing deep stacked, "one pair" hands tend to lead to trouble just like we see in this thread. The problem is compounded with bad position.

Hero ends up with an SPR of ten, in middle position. This situation is trouble for Hero - he has a medium strength made hand with has little chance for improvement. If Hero were only playing $200, this is a fist pump all-in situation (SPR would have been two rather than ten).

This difficult spot came when Hero played AQo for a raise from UTG. Now, hero needs a great read to continue. The turn is going to be a potential problem well over half the time if villain is drawing. And if hero is behind, it is way behind with no more than three outs and perhaps needing a runner runner full house.

It feels weak/tight to fold here, but I think it is the best of bad options -=- DrStrange

 

[Meddler2]

Agreed. After taking a mental check of where I was in the hand and trying to recall similar strategy threads...Hero reluctantly folds.

Villain comments he knew I was strong and tables .

Disaster averted....

That is until the last hand of the night whereas Hero is dealt OTB.

Ah but that's for another thread.

 

[DrStrange]

AQs on the button is a lot more sexy . . .

 

[Adam Crowley]

One of the more difficult spots. You need a solid read that villain is making a move here. You would need to have a really good idea of your table image, and hard evidence that villain is raising a weak hand.

 

[thorwilliam]

Wow, that is some ridiculous preflop raise sizes.