AQ, should i stop..

I have been playing so many tournaments lately, and have been running into the exact same situation in just too many of them. That situation being that i am on the bubble, roughly last 20% of people, and i am dealt AQs or AQo, I call or raise depending on position and opponents etc., to then be re-raised all in. I think about their past actions etc.. and more often then not i make the call, they turn over pretty much ATC, and i completely miss everything, no pairs draws nothing. And am then either crippled to a 1BB or so, or taken out.

Every time this has happened lately, i've pretty much said to myself, i should just not play these two cards any more when on the bubble, its just not worth it..(somewhat jokingly, somewhat serious). Then im in my next tournament same cards come to me, in the same situation and history repeats itself, with an evil grin.


Is this just serious bad luck, and i should ignore it and still play this hand, or should i just lay off it, and fold when i see it in these situations.. my superstitions are beginning to override my sense of judgement.

Please help =].

First-off I'd say if they are truely playing ATC you should be raising here, not calling since you're way ahead. If you miss and they hit, well, that's poker. If a more competent player raises, then you need to have a plan for the hand.

Are you IP or OOP? Is he betting/raising wide to abuse the bubble? Are you trying to squeak into the money, or make a deep run? Assuming you just call (generally bad) and don't improve, what's your plan? Lots of things to consider.

Post examples (HH).

well one example is, I had AQs in MP so raised to 3k from 1kBB, my stack being ~11k, after the raise. Then the BB re-raises all in for 13k total. Everyone folded to me, i call. He has 9,10s then flop hits his 9, and he ends up winning. pretty much same type of situations for every other time too.

@Big_ruddy, im generally going for a deep run, hence why i usually have the mentality to go for the all-ins on the bubble because it will set me up for a good pay if i win, or if i fold ill just scrape in.

lukyl1 said:

well one example is, I had AQs in MP so raised to 3k from 1kBB, my stack being ~11k, after the raise. Then the BB re-raises all in for 13k total. Everyone folded to me, i call. He has 9,10s then flop hits his 9, and he ends up winning. pretty much same type of situations for every other time too.

@Big_ruddy, im generally going for a deep run, hence why i usually have the mentality to go for the all-ins on the bubble because it will set me up for a good pay if i win, or if i fold ill just scrape in.

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If you have 11bbs you should just shove right there instead of open raising since (IMO)

Luky, they don't happen "everytime" you just have a tendency to remember the times more often when your A,Q is beaten by A,x or 8,5os because it makes you think just "how" they can reshove you. However, with 10blinds left in your example, you're opening up and then being reshoved on. (You may aswell just open shove because you are not folding the flop (I hope not) as you may as well of just folded to start with.

You have to also bear in mind, if these peoples stacks are bigger than yours and with higher blinds + dead money, than calling a small amount of their stack with good odds, with suited connectors(Or any two) isn't a bad thing. They are getting the right price and losing doesn't cripple them, doesn't impact their chip stack. Busting you however, increased their stack size quite a bit. You have to remember your chip stack size when short is worth more than their larger chip size in terms of prize pool equity.

ramdeebam said:

Luky, they don't happen "everytime" you just have a tendency to remember the times more often when your A,Q is beaten by A,x or 8,5os because it makes you think just "how" they can reshove you. However, with 10blinds left in your example, you're opening up and then being reshoved on. (You may aswell just open shove because you are not folding the flop (I hope not) as you may as well of just folded to start with.

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Thats probably more true then i want to remember.

ramdeebam said:

Luky, they don't happen "everytime" you just have a tendency to remember the times more often when your A,Q is beaten by A,x or 8,5os because it makes you think just "how" they can reshove you. However, with 10blinds left in your example, you're opening up and then being reshoved on. (You may aswell just open shove because you are not folding the flop (I hope not) as you may as well of just folded to start with.

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Thats probably more true then i want to remember.

With 11 BBs you shouldn't be 3xing anything. Actually you should almost never 3x anyway.

If you are going to lay off a hand don't make the reason "its bad luck." Yeah you are unlucky in these spots but AQ on the bubble is a powerful hand, most people tighten up a lot so you can prob take down a some good pots with it but if you get re raised especially with some one that is in the 30 BB range chances are they have a hand that is prob strong. People don't get there chips in when the bubble is close unless they are chip leader at table or low stack. When medium stack plays back at you it is judgement call with AQ. End Note: dont fold AQ cause it is "bad luck", make decision based strongly on chip stack of opponent

baudib1 said:

With 11 BBs you shouldn't be 3xing anything. Actually you should almost never 3x anyway.

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You should be pushing and leave the decisions to all those who are left to act.

With the above scenario, the BB was just trying to a). abuse the bubble or b). is a complete idiot.

Thanks for the post. I once knew these answers but have long since forgotten them. I needed this refresher.

I have to agree with the others, you need to push right away.
Make the rest of the table make a decision.
In your example the BB would probably never call but he thought
you were weak because you made the 'standard' 3x raise.

A pre-flop all in makes the statement your ready to gamble and maybe,
just maybe because you could have busted him, he may have gone away.

IMO..Before you raise and with you being short you should already have it in your mind what you want to do. I would of shoved from the begining but it is easy for everyone to say that not being in your shoes at that time.was the player who re-raised you all-in playing loose the whole time or did you not have him on a range?

That has to be a shove. You need to readjust your thinking. I understand you were probably trying to protect your stack - what little you had left - right? Didn't want to commit it all hoping they'd go away with a 3x bet?
Let's adjust that thinking - an 11 BB stack is not worth protecting - it has one purpose and that is as a club against your opponents cranium when you have the opportunity.
Your 3x bet came off as a hand not good enough to go to war with, so you got shoved on and ended up being the guy having to make the decision to call. He probably was not thrilled you called and less so when you flipped them over - so if that's what you wanted, then well played (not really).
You shove your stack in and force them into making the decision, not you, and one option they have is to fold. Your 3x bet made it very difficult for him to fold, but he was also smart enough to know a flat call on his part would just be stupid. Your bet really only left him with the one option - put the pressure back on you because you telegraphed to him you didn't want the pressure of being all in.

The stack was 11BB after the raise, so 14BB before. A shove is still a legit play, but I don't think a smaller raise is out of the question...

14, 11, - a short stack betting into a short stacked BB can pretty much expect some sort of effort to protect that blind unless there was overwhelming evidence to the contrary (the BB is a nit).
3x just comes off as a steal attempt in this situation and induces a shove so you might as well put it all in and add fold equity to the equation versus eliminating it (unless you are wanting to induce that shove, I guess).