AQo

Played in a 7-man live tournament (homegame) last night. Got dealt total crap for at least two hours and only called into one flop (only to flop an inside straight draw, but the raise was larger to call than the pot odds were feeding me to call so I folded it).

Eventually, I was dealt AQo. I was on the button, and it was $60 big blind at this point. When it came to me, I raised it $90. I was reraised by the big blind an additional $150. These were sizeable raises, given the momentum of the evening. I was no longer sure that my AQo was worth crap. Everyone else had folded and it was just me and this guy.

I decided to call his raise, putting him on KQ, or some other higher connector. Possibly a mid-level pair - I wasn't quite sure. He had been playing erratic the entire night, raising with K7 and other nonsense, so I thought I could buy the pot if I didn't hit the flop. The flop came and it was all low cards - 248(rainbow). I felt like it had missed him like it missed me so I raised it $200. He reraised it $200 - the bet was now $400, with it $200 to call. I now put him on a high pocket pair, and at this point, my puny stack, which had been eaten by blinds for so long, was so low, that I felt compelled to gamble. I called his $200, and went all-in with the rest, which was $80. He called.

He flipped over AKs. I got not help from the turn or the river and was knocked out.

I think I went on tilt. That's the first thing that I think. Ordinarily, I go on tilt when I lose the actual hands I play. This was different - I went on tilt because I was dealt like a hundred marginal hands without fail. I was playing incredibly tight, because at this homegame, there are several marginal players who call regardless, and so bluffing in this low of stakes ($10 buy-in with rebuys and 1st place takes 75% while 2nd takes 25%) is risky since people don't have a sense of what is on the board, how weak their mid-pair is, etc. Still, I feel like I need some serious counseling.

1. Could someone give me the correct way I should've played AQo? Should I have folded when I was reraised, for instance? AQo is not a great hand - usually, I see it grouped in either group 5 or group 4. I think you can play it from late position, but I'm not sure if you should raise with it. I was hoping, though, honestly, of just buying the pot - I was hoping that my 100 straight folds could've built up the kind of tight capital that would've made someone unwilling to call that kind of raise. But this person was erratic, and since he was on the big blind, I just figured he'd lay it down. I definitely, like I said, did not put him on big slick.

2. What are some good rules of thumb on playing in a mixed homegame of loose-passive and loose-aggressive players? The thing about playing into this crowd is that bad beats just happen. Good beats happen to the bad players it seems like to me. I'm not a "good player" but I have invested in studying, learning basic pot odds, card strategy, etc., and do fairly well in money games. But, I need to get some advice on playing into a table like this.

3. Can someone also tell me some of their personal opinions about optimal bluffing? I have been studying game theory this semester for my doctoral program, and one of the things I've been studying are these older poker models constructed by guys like John Nash, von Neumann and Borel. The thing that struck me about Nash and von Neumann's models was how much bluffing they recommended. Specifically, von Neumann seems to recommend (and I'm still working on deciphering these models, so don't ask me too much about them) bluffing with the worst cards, checking with marginal hands, and betting with top cards. So, in my training software, Poker Academy, I've been bluffing around 50% of the time with any hand that is ranked 25% or lower. I raise the size of the big blind. But I've had trouble getting the nerve up to incorporate this into my live money games. Can someone give me some tips/advice/personal stories on trying to incorporate bluffing into a tight-aggressive style of play?

thanks,


scott cunningham
athens, ga

OK, don't take this as gospel and I think others will offer sounder advice than I will give, but for what it's worth ......

re: how to play AQo in that situation, I personally would have folded when u were re-raised $200 on the flop. I personally think u were right to lead out and bet the flop but when u were re-raised again (having been re-raised pre-flop) I think u have to know your AQ is no good, especially with no discernable draw either.

You would still have been left with $280 (?!) and then u could have picked a better opportunity to push with, even if it only meant scooping up a couple of blinds.

In this type of game, I generally adopt the philosophy that u should play opposite to the table (i.e. game is loose, u play tight and vice versa). The other thing is that, more often than not against these type of players, you are going to have to have the best hand at the showdown because u are going to be taken to it! These type of players simply CANNOT be bluffed.
You can study all u want about pot-odds etc but it doesn't really help u when the other players don't! They ARE going to chase those straight and flush draws, including the insiders, not because they are working out the odds but because they MIGHT catch them. They ARE going to play with any ace (and potentially any face - u mentioned something about betting with K7?) because IF that card hits, they think they are going to take the pot down, hence you need to have the hand at the showdown.

As I mentioned, bluffing is almost certainly a no-no in games like this. But, generally, be observant, pick your player(s) to bluff (i.e those u know can be bluffed because they lay down to bets, re-raises etc) and utilise your position. However, I am probably not the best person to offer advice on this because I play tight (probably too much so) but I am finding, with experience, that I am better at knowing when to bluff.

I think (although others may disagree) you need to take as many free cards as you can get and don't overcommit to pots. Make small bets and be prepared to win and lose a few small pots and wait to be paid off when u hit the monster. Obviously, I don't know how good these people u play with are, but cleverly little disguised hands are worth lots because poor players simply don't read the boards. i.e. JT with 8 9 Q on the board.

Maybe this is too obvious, I don't know, but this is generally how I would play. Hope this helps (if only a little!)

What would you do if you had been getting good cards all night in this situation? You would probably fold since it wasn't worth the risk. I know what you mean though - I fall for it almost every time. I get crap for an hour and then I see two face cards and I think own the table. I have to work on that too

You gotta know that's tilt, when you feel like you have to win a pot or you have to gamble.