AQ - My Story (Correct play top pair top kicker on the flop)

Okay, I have had such a long history with AQ - and this post is going to describe it, in 3 hands. The first one I played incorrectly, from a very long cash game session at a live game - then a discussion about the hand between myself and another player. The second one I beleive I played correctly, and was later in the same session, just a few orbits later, same key players - and the last one was a hand in a tournament earlier tonight.

The table has been loosened up considerably. Seat 3 has been keeping the table loose by raising large amounts with a wide variety of hands. He is an excellent player, and over the night he has been winning a lot of money, mainly from me (I win from the table, lose to him, rinse, and repeat) - I consider this session the session I ever learned the most from, but I am digressing from the point - he has some sick read on me and knows my hand is AQ - I'm pretty sure I have an AQ tell.

Hand 1 (2/3 NL Live Ring Game - effective stack of $200, but I'm sitting much closer to $700): I'm in middle position, AQo, a few limpers so far. I raise to $25. Seat 3 says: Oh, man. I wish I had your hand right now. (Sick read) Four callers. Pot Size - $125 Flop comes Q85 rianbow. Action is checked to me - I bet $25 (yes, not enough - I was happy to have top pair and wasn't aware how vulnerable I was.) Four callers. Seat 3 says "What was that, a feeler bet? Not nearly enough." Turn comes 9d. Pot is $250. Seat 3 says "See? I told you." Checked around to Seat 9 (the button) - who bets $150 and is all-in. Folded around. Seat 9 shows JTo for the nut straight.

Seat 3 reminds me to use what I know about pot-odds, and that I didn't give any hand the odds that folding was the correct move. I now realize this bet was -EV. Before we get to Hand 2, Seat 3 stacked me, I bought in for another $100 (the forced buy-in at this table), and had worked it up to about $200.

Hand 2 - Seat 9 is the button again. Seat 4 limps, 5 folds, on me with AQo again. I raise to $22. Seat 3 comments on the quality of my hand again. 4 Callers. Pot is now $125. The flop comes - Q94, rainbow. Seat 3 tells me how he wishes he had my hand right now. (Sick . . . sick.) After having taken in what Seat 3 had explained to me about a vulnerable hand, and pretty sure my hand is best barring 99, 44, Q9, Q4, and 94, I decide to bet $125, or the pot. Folded to Seat 9, who calls. Folded around. Pot is now $375. Turn comes 8s. Seat 3 laughs - clairvoyant as always - and I check to seat 9, who wastes no time going all in. I am forced to fold - and of course, seat 9 shows over his JTo again, for once again - the nut straight.

Hand 3 - Tonight in a $1 rebuy MTT, about 100 left, top 64 paid. Blinds 100/200, my chip stack ~4000T, villain ~4500T. I'm first to act, standard raise of 3.5 BBs. Three callers, pot is 12 BBs, or 2200. Flop comes Qs8s7h. I'm first to act. I shove all-in - certain I have the best of it right now - barring two pair - presumably with 87s, but given the board texture - and my lack of a spade - I don't want any drawing hands priced in. Ideally I'll get called with a hand like 89, 76, QK, QJ, etc. Next person to act folds, one player left in pot - he calls (much to my surprise) - I guess he was making a hero-call - or couldn't see whatever my AQ tell is (if only Seat 3 were there to tell him) - and decided to call me with 99. "Ha! What an idiot, he's down to two outs or runners to a straight." Before I even get the thought through my head he spikes his 9 and the A on the river doesn't even help me.

So my question is this - in all three of these big hands with AQ - I have identified I have the strongest hand, am right in doing so, and believe I priced the bet right (after hand one) - are there any differences in how you would play these hands?

Or is AQ just not treating me right on these big memorable hands?

I figure it's my variance mixed in with other people making the incorrect play - and in the long run I'll be making money in the long run, but these losses are imprinted on my memory for life - (I've still got your face - painted on my heart - drawn upon my soul - )

Regards,

WG

IMHO you played the hand correctly in hand 2 and got sucked out on by a donk that didn't know he wasn't getting the right price to call.

In hand 3 I just would've bet the pot. Your overbet to me screams "Please fold! I have AKo". If that's his reasoning he's gonna call everytime and take his chances. A normal cbet for that situation probably would've been a clearer signal to him that he was beat. But in the end, you had the best hand, he got lucky. That's poker. Don't sweat it, 92% of the time you win that scenario. I think my math is right.

One small thought is you aren't 'behind' the hands you've listed....You're also behind AA, KK, and QQ. AQo is vulnerable in many ways. Not to say it isn't a good starting hand, but in a multi way pot it's value falls.

Much of what you've listed was really just unfortunate for sure, but be aware of the cards people tend to play or are willing to draw with. Losing to the same dude twice with TJ is certainly a tell that he's going to play connectors all day and night and you need to A) make him make a bad play and call incorrectly (and then avoid the str8) or B) realize that when the board straightens, you can easily be behind now.

I don't think you've played them so poorly (except hand #1 with a $25 ct...yikes!) but there was info to be learned from the villain to for later hands.

Good point there, VC, about the AA, KK, and QQ. I generally consider when I raise to get reraised with a hand like AA, KK, or QQ - while it doesn't always work this way (some players like to be sneaky simons, I will tell you that much), it is true I discounted all three of those hands from my assessment every time. At the same time, I was right to do so everytime - luckily for me - and I know that occaisonally I'll run into a hidden monster and pay them off. (Eesh)

Thanks for the insight on the tournament hand, Def_Man. I guess I really didn't consider what my bet would LOOK like to my opponents - to be honest I really hand't considered any of them would call with less than two pair.

Now if you'll excuse me, the grave digging scene from Drag Me To Hell is on.

Hand 1: C-bet was too small. Otherwise fine.

Hand 2: Should have called... I mean, you should have called if it were played online. Live you can know the player well enough that it's a fold but from a strictly strategy/game theory perspective it's a call.

Hand 3: I'm not a tournament player so I could be completely wrong but the shove seems standard to me. Bad luck.


AQ's main weakness is AK. I agree that QQ+ will generally re-raise pre-flop which significantly reduces the chances of running into them when your opponents just call, if you're up against someone who is capable of limping or calling with them then it's something you should take notice of. Don't worry about QQ+ from anyone but the pre-flop last aggressor.
AK will be a thorn in your side on A high flops and when you both miss.

@pokerkid - Yea. It was pretty obvious villain in hand 2 had JT again. This was no reg making a play at me - he was honestly excited when the turn hit (just like in hand 1) and was honestly excited to get his money in with the nuts. I knew when I folded it was the right move because he had a giant beaming honest smile. Evidenced when he exposed his holecards when the action pot was awarded to him.

Interestingly enough, our friend in Seat 3 went ahead and berated him for his awful call on the flop. I miss that guy. I wonder what his name was . . .

You played the hands like it's fixed limit (Hand1) or pot-limit (Hand 2)... and you played Hand3 like an obvious bluff..

Try to use the best NL Holdem tool - Overbet !!!

I usually bet 1.5 to 2.0 times the pot when I have TPTK or overpair.

Well hand one you played very weak. Almost scared like it was you on the draw. Like everyone has said you gave odds with your cbet for everyone to call. But, most importantly what has not been said is that your intial raise was too low. The reason I say that is you got 4 callers with 25 buck bet with AQ. So, this means that your table is not only quite loose (good) but you need to bet more to isolate to heads up. Considering your position and the table dynamics, I would have opened for 40.

Hand 2 still think the opening bet was too small but like the cbet and just got unlucky.

Hand 3 Just unlucky. You could play this many ways but the results would have been the same. If you shove pre the 9's are gonna call. If you make a normal continuation bet the 9's are calling or may shove. You say he's an idiot by calling your shove but with only a Q to beat him on the board and considering his pre flop call. He is thinking do you really have a queen in your hand. Maybe you got ak or aj or air. So why you were confounded by the call it is in the realm of understandable. Just one of those random times that AQ was unlucky for you. But soon enough you will have AQ vs AA and hit a qqblank flop and it will balance out for you.

But remember to always considered the odds you are giving with you bets. Also, if your opening bet is appropriate for the table you are playing at. Some tables everyone folds for 25 some nobody will.

I saw Drag Me To Hell. Was pleasantly surprised.

you should tell Seat 3 to STFU.

I liked seat 3. He taught my a bit about the game.

I'd love to run into him again.