General Questions

Hi all,

I am playing 9-max 1/2 cent NL on stars. I am having great difficult playing AQs, AQo, KQo, KQs out of position.

I am at the point where I am folding KQs,KQo, and AQo in the first 2 positions after the BB. This seems that I am throwing a lot of value away. I suspect that there are ways to play those hands early profitably.

Before:
I always raised AQo, AQs, and KQs, when first in, regardless of position. My issue is that I would c-bet, 3 or less opponents on any type of flop (including 3 to a flush boards). With this strategy I end up winning a lot of small to medium pots and losing large ones. This theme also occurs with my other hands, but i wanted to keep this question as focused as my poor writing skills would permit.

I saw many situations where I would raise 4BB get two callers, pot is at 13.5BB. I would hit flop get top pair bet 10BB, get two more callers now the pot is 43.5BB, assuming I started with 100BB I only have 86BB left. Thus if a make a meaningful bet I would become quickly pot committed as betting 30BB leaves me with 56BB and the pot being over 73.5BB (only including my bet). At this point if I get raised as it happens I feel like I have good odds to call. But this seems wrong.

I am trying to figure this out. From what I understand that I need to be crushing 1/2 before moving up and my win rate is 7.73 PTBB/ 100. Fixing this leak should get me there.

Any help would be appreciated.

-!luck

post a few of the hand histories that are giving you trouble, right now the question is too vague to properly answer although it is clear that there is something wrong. IMO though, kq isnt an utg opening hand.

u should really try and not play kq in the first few positions. aq isnt reall a good hand in the first coulple postions either. you get in trouble with those hands because if someone raise and lets say the board comes a 9 10 how can you play ace queen when someone bets on the flop. so if it was me i would fold them in the first few postions.

Originally Posted by !Luck

I am at the point where I am folding KQs,KQo, and AQo in the first 2 positions after the BB.

[] Problem.

KQs/KQo are standard folds 9max in EP.

You can probably start opening KQs from MP1, KQo from MP2.

In the situations where a bet leaves you with less than a psb on the turn, you really need to plan ahead. Do you think your opponent is going to stack off with worse often enough?
You just need to be aware who you're playing against at the moment.

Who said poker was easy?

If you open in early position, cbet and still have two opponents in the hand, your top pair isn't the nuts any longer. This is where you need skills to evaluate flop texture, equity vs ranges, table image and your opponents' tendencies.

KQs/KQo/AQo are all very marginal opening hands from UTG/UTG+1. If you don't know how to play them in the situation you described you probably shouldn't open with them and it's not a big problem at all.

Originally Posted by pocketfours

Who said poker was easy?

errrrrr ummmmmm, I think I said that. See signature below.