Playing 2nd best hands OOP.

How do you play AJo, AJs, AQo, TT or JJ UTG or UTG+1 in FR, at the lower stakes, at a table where a high number of players will see a flop? (even if you raise)

Also, how do you play hands like AK-AJ and JJ-TT when you are on the SB and a lot of players have limped in (3 or 4+) and you are likely to get a few callers if you raise 4xbb + 1xbb for every limper?

By limping you lose a lot of the hands value, because hitting TP on the flop with 5+ players isn't strong at all.
by raising you are reducing the number of players in the pot (although you may still have 3 or 4 seeing the flop) and you are building a pot OOP.

What do you do with AJo UTG? Fold it?

All replies appreciated. Thanks in advance

AJo preflop is an age old arguement. IMO, raise. IMO always raise and get the pot big, our hand range versus a group of opponents is still dominant.

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Originally Posted by Miffed22001

AJo preflop is an age old arguement. IMO, raise. IMO always raise and get the pot big, our hand range versus a group of opponents is still dominant.

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what about when you're in the sb with a lot of limpers?

also, do you also play AT UTG? I actually fold it. Again you're ahead against a lot of average hands.

AJo UTG - I think limp, raise, fold are all equally marginal. Raising is kinda bad unless the table is agressive enough so that AK/AQ will reraise behind you.

I guess the looser the table, the more I like a raise rather than a limp. You can limp on a tight-passive table.

In SB, with a good hand, I will almost always raise, because I also like to occasinally pot it with air.

I too raise AJx in a loose table. But how much should the raise be? Sklansky says in NLHE: T&P that you don't want big pots with hands like that in loose tables, since they tend to be weak without help from the board. Therefore I usually make it 3xBB from early and middle positions.
Anything wrong with my thinking?

JJ, TT: These I tend to limp with from EP as set catchers. Sometimes I win a big pot without a set because they're quite well concealed as overpairs when limped with.

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Originally Posted by Jupit3r

I too raise AJx in a loose table. But how much should the raise be? Sklansky says in NLHE: T&P that you don't want big pots with hands like that in loose tables, since they tend to be weak without help from the board. Therefore I usually make it 3xBB from early and middle positions.
Anything wrong with my thinking?

JJ, TT: These I tend to limp with from EP as set catchers. Sometimes I win a big pot without a set because they're quite well concealed as overpairs when limped with.

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I've heard about the smaller raise from early position. But I don't think it is a good idea. The small raise gets you a lot of limpers at some tables (especially loose tables). Also, once you have 1 limper the player behind has better odds and so decides to call. And then the player behind has even better odds so he decides to call. You end up with 5 players in the hand because they all have great odds to play.

Also, I don't like limping TT and JJ UTG. I think that they are strong enough hands as they are. And can win pots without any additional help from the board sometimes.
Also, when you do hit sets - you've hit a set with a bigger pot and therefore you have a better opportunity to stack somebody.
The only thing that you gain by limping is 1 or 2 extra limpers (players you could potentially stack when you hit).