$6.5 - AJ in BB

[mattiesmat]

This might be a (very) basic situation and question for you, but i have some trouble playing AJ (early).
I throw away AJ from early position, open raise from late and limp from MP sometimes, during the first levels.
Is that any good?
In this hand there were 3 limpers and I was in BB, out of position against 2 of them.
Should I raise or check here and why?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (6 handed) by Hand Converter CG

UTG (t3515)
MP (t1050)
CO (t4460)
Button (t1315)
SB (t1735)
Hero (t1425)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Ad, Jh.
2 folds, CO calls t30, Button calls t30, SB completes, Hero ??, 2/3 players left to act

[CoccoBill]

To me this a standard raise, 3xBB +1BB/limper, so I'd make it 180. Without reads AJ is my minimum starting hand early from EP, and I pretty much always raise it, but need very good reads to call a reraise with it. AJ is a top 5% hand and IMO folding it is too tight.

[Zee Devee]

I probably check here. If an A or J flops, your hand is very well hidden and probably good (most people raise AQ+ pf).

[Geanosssss]

You gotta raise here. A hand that has you beat would of already raised.
The chances are you'll be OOP after the flop but the important thing is you have the best hand, which we can be pretty sure of at this point.

[Geanosssss]

You gotta raise here. A hand that has you beat would of already raised.
The chances are you'll be OOP after the flop but the important thing is you have the best hand, which we can be pretty sure of at this point.

[Geanosssss]

And you say that you throw AJ away in EP. Is this at a 6 handed table? If so then thats just stupidly weak tight. And limping with it in MP is just as crazy.
At a six handed table you gotta raise AJ from any position.

[badgers]

I would just check and see a pot, no reason to build the pot OOP.

I agree with how you say you generally play AJ. I also fold AJ when deep in EP.

[drmcboy]

25/50 I raise, here I could go either way.

[TLR]

I would raise it about 5BB, thin out the field.
You probably have the best hand preflop, and playing the hand 4 way loses a lot of value (even if you flop an A or a J you dont know if you are good enough). If you raise there is a good chance you pick the pot preflop, or get called by 1 villian and can pick it up postflop with a c-bet even if you miss

[taipan168]

I check and seeing a flop (and, as TLR says, play carefully if an A or J flops). There are two players who have position on you if they call your raise. Plus, if you raise here, it would have to be at least 150-180 which is a significant proportion of your stack. If you get called then miss the flop and c-bet, you will likely be OOP and that c-bet would have to be at least 250 or so, which means you could burn a lot of chips.

And you say that you throw AJ away in EP. Is this at a 6 handed table? If so then thats just stupidly weak tight. And limping with it in MP is just as crazy.
At a six handed table you gotta raise AJ from any position.

Playing AJ from EP when blinds are small is a leak IMO. It may sound weak/tight, but the payout structure of single table tourneys is such that it's not worth taking these marginal situations early because the chips you can win are worth less than the chips you put at risk.

[Geanosssss]

Playing AJ from EP when blinds are small is a leak IMO. It may sound weak/tight, but the payout structure of single table tourneys is such that it's not worth taking these marginal situations early because the chips you can win are worth less than the chips you put at risk.

I agree if your playing at full handed tables, but at six handed I think folding AJ is just playing scared poker.
I understand what your saying and i play very tight at the early stages of a tourney but folding AJ is just too tight for my liking. Just because its early on, it doesnt mean your not allowed to play poker.

[bjsaust]

This looks like a full table with 1 guy tripled up and another doubled up early.

Raise or call, hard to go wrong either way. If you raise, make sure you c-bet almost any flop. If you call only continue if you hit TP or better.

[TLR]

This looks like a full table with 1 guy tripled up and another doubled up early.

Raise or call, hard to go wrong either way. If you raise, make sure you c-bet almost any flop. If you call only continue if you hit TP or better.

4 way TP OOP is not a great hand

[bjsaust]

No its not. I didnt say go to the wall with it, but anything less such as a: K,J,8 flop is a c/f. If you hit TP obviously you need to proceed carefully, but dont even think about going on with less.

[taipan168]

Playing AJ from EP when blinds are small is a leak IMO. It may sound weak/tight, but the payout structure of single table tourneys is such that it's not worth taking these marginal situations early because the chips you can win are worth less than the chips you put at risk.

I agree if your playing at full handed tables, but at six handed I think folding AJ is just playing scared poker.
I understand what your saying and i play very tight at the early stages of a tourney but folding AJ is just too tight for my liking. Just because its early on, it doesnt mean your not allowed to play poker.

True, but from 1st and 2nd position I just wouldn't bother with it. The problem is that AJ can have bad reverse implied odds because many players will just flat call with AK/AQ and sometimes JJ. I don't think it's a terrible leak to raise AJ from EP on a 6-handed table but I definitely don't think it is the most +EV play.

[TLR]

Playing AJ from EP when blinds are small is a leak IMO. It may sound weak/tight, but the payout structure of single table tourneys is such that it's not worth taking these marginal situations early because the chips you can win are worth less than the chips you put at risk.

I agree if your playing at full handed tables, but at six handed I think folding AJ is just playing scared poker.
I understand what your saying and i play very tight at the early stages of a tourney but folding AJ is just too tight for my liking. Just because its early on, it doesnt mean your not allowed to play poker.

True, but from 1st and 2nd position I just wouldn't bother with it. The problem is that AJ can have bad reverse implied odds because many players will just flat call with AK/AQ and sometimes JJ. I don't think it's a terrible leak to raise AJ from EP on a 6-handed table but I definitely don't think it is the most +EV play.

True in the $27 and probably $16, but happens less frequently in the $6.5