SNG Question.

I just finished a single table $6+.060 turbo in which I cracked the money, but I could easily have gone out early in the tourney, which brings me to my question.

Just how valuable are hands like AJ suited in front of a big raise? That's exactly what I had in one of the key hands, and I could easily have called for half my stack (the raiser was all-in preflop), but I didn't. The guy ahead of me snap-called, and the raiser flopped a set. With the variance in SNG, is this the kind of move I should be making often?

probably best to post the hand history as without any more details it's hard to comment on the hand you're talking about.

generally speaking, AJ is pretty standard fold-fodder in the early stages of SNGs unless it's folded to you in late position. you certainly shouldn't be calling raises with it.

a general rule for late-stage SNG play for newer players is if you think you have a close decision between calling a shove and folding, you should invariably be folding.

And as a corollary to this: if you have a close decision between shoving and folding, you should invariably be shoving.

Your goal in the sng is to hit the money. I am not going to put a huge portion of my chips in preflop, where I can get destroyed with the nest 5 cards. I want to be the agressor in an early stage. Make the others think if they want to risk their chips. I would rather bet them than call them off

v true also.

AJ suited...nope, it's a fold. The minimum for cold calling a pre-flop raise is A Q, preferably suited. Even then, you could be dominated and in deep trouble.

It is a fold here too. Although it appear you have a decent hand, it is a marginal hand for much of your chips. Nothing wrong with letting the knobs weed themselves out while playing a higher probable hand for success.

Why risk it early. Stay patient and win.

AJ is garbage early in a sit n go-feel free to either limp or open raise but immediatly fold to a reraise or shove-no use calling off your stack againts hands like AK AQ-its better to let this one go and wait for a better spot-however on the bubble this hand is a monster-the_urge27

In situations like this (as always, depending on what the play and players have been like to that point), I like to remember Steve Dannenmann's quote during the final table vs. Joe Hachem at the final table: "A bad fold is only a small mistake"... the flip side being that a bad call/raise might be a HUGE mistake.

I personally feel you should never call with AJ suited. You should at least have AQ suited, but when it is for half your stack and you have not yet commited a large amount of chips you should definetly fold.

Early stage of any tournament play. AJ is an easy fold. If you call any raise with AJ pre-flop your in serious trouble. The early stages of a SNG should be used to gain info on opponents and their play. You should only be playing MONSTERS and position.

Lefty

aj suited is a fold-if-re-raised hand

Ace Jack suited would prolly be good with the guy that went all in with the low stack, but since a guy after him insta called your ace jack was prolly not good. Good lay down.

AJ is a fold but it sometimes depends on the number of players in the tourney and on the table