How to play AJo early position?

Shorthanded ring game. $5 NL. Mix of Tight Aggressive and Loose Passive players. Everyone has $5-10 stacks.

I am dealt Ac Jh as the SB.

What do I do if a few limp?
What do I do if there's raise of 3xBB and and there are two callers(no limpers before raiser) when it comes around to me?



Normally, I'ld raise 3-4xBB or call the 3xBB bet...

How to play AJo early position?

For me its simple: DONT!

You are not really in early position in the SB though, like the thread title states. Myself with the TAG guys in there, if a few limp, call see a cheap flop. 3x raise, I think I may fold if there are indeed 2 limpers already. I bet one of those 3 have me beat. If this were late in a tourney or something, then that would be a different story, but no reason for you to throw money in the pot in a $5 game.

How do you reason they have you beat?

What I reason is that if there is a raiser, plus 2 other limpers, that my little AJos is probably not the best hand at that point. I guess it would depend on what the other 2 guys do on the bet, but if they call, I surely fold. I dont like getting into pots unless I feel like I am ahead and I really cant feel like that here. Being in the SB I would call to see the flop, but if it was out of position or if there was a decent raise, I am not going to throw my money in the pot. Lets say that you get A79. Then what? You have the A sure, but unless the flop has the J in it, I wouldnt fire alot of $ out there. Maybe it is the way that I play, but if there are 4 people in the pot and they all called a raise, odds are that someone has either AK/AQos, or perhaps Axs. The latter would be ok, but do you want to risk it? I dunno, I like to play smaller suited connectors more than I like face cards that arent suited. Especially the A.

I limp and play SUPER cautiously.

Kind of confused about EP talk...I think you are actually talking about SB? Anyway...

Didn't read all that thoroughly, but I think I'm agreeing with Scott. It's just such an in between hand that out of position (in the SB) it's going to be hard to tell if you're actually ahead or not. Say that Ace does fall...you bet out and get a call from a preflop raiser, possibly you will also get called by the stations that follow...this just makes for tough decisions in the long run, and unless you know your opponent really well you can end up losing a lot of money in these types of spots.

I say try to get in cheap and unless you see some sort of opportunity, and attack if you flop a monster. Otherwise just fold and wait for better situations, especially in a cash game.

But I assume you'ld play it as the button. What difference is there then other than position? Your Ace would still be as scary to play...meaning don't play AJo ever

The person on the button has a better shot of taking down this pot with 72o than you do in the SB with AJo. Out of position, unless you hit a miracle flop, it's too easy to get outplayed.

It's barely worth a limp to me, I certainly wouldn't call a raise with it.

(If they were suited, I would be much more interested in seeing a flop, especially if I could close out the betting.)

hmm perhaps I'm not experienced enough to see how it's too easy to get outplayed.

If an Ace comes out and the rest is low like 62o then it seems pretty similar of a situation no matter what position you are in

Because they have position on you, they have the benefit of acting last, seeing how you react to the flop, and then acting accordingly.

Suppose the flop pairs your A, you bet out and get flat called. Now what do you do on the turn? If you bet out and get raised on the turn, are you prepared to call the raise with your top pair? What if you check the turn and they bet out?

Even worse, what happens when the flop is 924 rainbow? Are you going to bet out with A high? If you don't, when you check (and they bet) what do you do?

Now take the same scenario, but give yourself AA instead of AJ. In that case, your cards are so strong that the positional disadvantage is much less damaging. That's why you want to play only your best hands out of position - because they are strong enough to stand up on their own and you don't have to worry as much about what the other person does.

Deathwish238 said:

hmm perhaps I'm not experienced enough to see how it's too easy to get outplayed.

If an Ace comes out and the rest is low like 62o then it seems pretty similar of a situation no matter what position you are in

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I think that you may be right, because you dont understand the value in position yet. Also I think you may be a bit inexperienced, in so much as you think that AJos holds some kind of value. I mean heads up, sure good hand and play it as such. Tourny and you are chip leader, fine go for it. Cash game with a bunch of people in the pot... GET OUT NOW!! If it was suited, then I would give it some thought, but unsuited this really is a limp and pray for a good flop hand. Maybe with a raise you can drive out the rest of the players or maybe UTG will stay in to fight it out, then you have the advantage. Unless you flop a straight (really the only hand that AJos is a good favorite) you may want to fold after the flop. If the ace comes and you can drive out everyone but the guy in front of you, you may want to stay in the pot. Then again, he very well may have AQ or AK, if he is playing you with an ace on the board, out of position... See the problem with this hand?

I'll fold it even for 1/2 a bb at a tough table. I hate playing OOP even with strong hands (which AJ isn't). Against a bunch of passive types I might raise preflop and hope to represent something stronger, but it's more a bluff than anything.

In your 2nd scenario with a raise and 2 callers I'd fold every time.

WVHillbilly said:

I'll fold it even for 1/2 a bb at a tough table. I hate playing OOP even with strong hands (which AJ isn't). Against a bunch of passive types I might raise preflop and hope to represent something stronger, but it's more a bluff than anything.

In your 2nd scenario with a raise and 2 callers I'd fold every time.

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^^

What WVHillbilly said, with this added:

No-limit is a game where you try to win the big pots and lose the small ones. Try asking yourself, "what kind of flop and opponents' holecards combination will win me a big pot?"

* For instance, if you have AK, and your opponent holds AQ, then you might win a big pot if the flop contains an ace.

* Or if you have 66, you might win a big pot if the flop has a 6, and your opponent has top pair, two pair or an overpair.

* Or if you have JTs, you might win a big pot if you hit a straight when your opponent has flopped some other big hand.

But with AJo, who are you hoping to win a big pot from? What flop are you reasonably expecting to see that will make that happen?

odinscott said:

How to play AJo early position?

For me its simple: DONT!

You are not really in early position in the SB though, like the thread title states. Myself with the TAG guys in there, if a few limp, call see a cheap flop. 3x raise, I think I may fold if there are indeed 2 limpers already. I bet one of those 3 have me beat. If this were late in a tourney or something, then that would be a different story, but no reason for you to throw money in the pot in a $5 game.

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What he said!

Its far to dangerous a hand to be playing OOP. However I am up with it according to PT

F Paulsson said:

What WVHillbilly said, with this added:

No-limit is a game where you try to win the big pots and lose the small ones. Try asking yourself, "what kind of flop and opponents' holecards combination will win me a big pot?"

* For instance, if you have AK, and your opponent holds AQ, then you might win a big pot if the flop contains an ace.

* Or if you have 66, you might win a big pot if the flop has a 6, and your opponent has top pair, two pair or an overpair.

* Or if you have JTs, you might win a big pot if you hit a straight when your opponent has flopped some other big hand.

But with AJo, who are you hoping to win a big pot from? What flop are you reasonably expecting to see that will make that happen?

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I can't say I ever really looked at poker like that. I suppose with AJ I'ld hope to win a small pot...but it could potentially lead to losing a big pot...

So...then what hands do you all even play? Ace Face only and hope that the Face pairs so you have top kicker? Suited connectors that you know are beat or not after the flop?


Ahh this noob has much to learn

I personally will try to see a flop with anything in position. I also like my cards to be suited. Though AKos may have a higher percentage to win, I prefer QJs. Really alot of it has to do with position and alot has to do with the other players at the table. I do play some hands out of position, but for me to stay in the pot, I need to narrow the number of people behind me to really feel comfortable. On the whole, the majority of my plays come in position, while I play monsters and try to steal the pot out of position. I dont like giving free cards anyways, but especially so out of position. It is just too hard to get a read on where you stand in the hand, if there are 4 people in the pot and if they can make their decisions after you do.

I agree w paullson, too many flops get u in trouble w AJ, and your position is awful. Limp or fold. Better yet, get a shredder and shred all the Js in the deck, AJ is a terrible hand. Suited? SOOTED? Give me a break! Chances of catching a fl on the flop are about 125-1.
Suited openers are way overrated by most people.

position position position. I read an article about it and it is EVERYTHING most of the time!!~

this is gay

ukpi_hutch said:

What he said!

Its far to dangerous a hand to be playing OOP. However I am up with it according to Poker Tracker

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That's probably because you pick and choose your spots with AJ carefully. If you played it like a monster hand, you'd most likely not be up with it.

So I laid down AJo in early twice today in an hour thanks to this thread...potentially saved myself lots of money

I'm going to read more about position and what not...

Started to reply..realized it's all been said..then hit reply anyway

AJo I'm not playing in a blind if it's raised unless I know the raiser really well... and in those situations I'm probably re raising or folding... pretty much never flat calling AJo in the blind with a raise.

A raise and two calls? I'm tossing AJo every time.

Deathwish238 said:

I can't say I ever really looked at poker like that. I suppose with AJ I'ld hope to win a small pot...but it could potentially lead to losing a big pot...

So...then what hands do you all even play? Ace Face only and hope that the Face pairs so you have top kicker? Suited connectors that you know are beat or not after the flop?


Ahh this noob has much to learn

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Ideally, play hands that either win big pots or win small ones but won't lose a big one. If you play AJo with the sole intent of stealing the pot, then that's fine. But the distinction is important; don't get caught up in the moment and lose half your stack when you flop top pair, because once you're stealing, you're playing the hand essentially as if it were 72o.

Suitedness brings tremendous value to hands like AJ.

At a shorthanded table I think you need to play AJo even in the SB, you've likely got the best hand preflop, against tight aggressive players just play it hard, if they play back at you, you're dominated so you fold, against loose passive just try to make a hand and value bet it and hope they call you down with bottom pair. Just don't get overly involved in the hand and be prepared to lay it down if someone is acting very strong.