Hi Fushi -- glad I finally talked you into coming onto CardsChat. You won't regret it mate.
I cannot help but also wonder about the AQ problem you have. I think the issue can be dealt with (just not for your weekly home game!)
Someone up above said you weren't playing it correctly...and although vague and perhaps harsh, it likely is on the money.
Almost any hand can be played from the right position with the right opponents and the right timing. But the key is putting the right value on it and knowing when to let it go.
Also, there is the challenge of bet-sizing to get the right number of opponents post-flop.
But the key here is not to overvalue AQ. AQo is NOT a "shove in all situations" kind of hand.
You have the option to shove, play it aggressively or keep it hidden.
My recommendation to you is to resist shoving AQ from earlier than cut-off position. Shoving from UTG is going to run you up against *someone* who has caught a pocket pair and there is still the risk of running into AA, KK, AK type hands despite the blockers which will hit home hard.
For me, it is the same with AK. I used to shove anywhere, anytime. Now, I also through in some limps or min raise from early position and subsequently use it as a
bluff catcher. The benefit there, is that if I swing and miss the flop, my hand is hidden, and I can check/call my way to the turn without having risked too much.
Our home game has the problem of often having too many people in a pot. And this also serves to weaken AQ (or any hand for that matter). Home games, like ours, often result in smaller bets, smaller pots, yet more people in them. Which makes it even riskier to make big bets.
Know when to fold. AK and AQ are great starting hands. But a miss leaves you with Ace-high. Not the strongest hand in all the rankings to be sure. Fine for heads up play, but again, with 2+ opponents in the pot, chances are "someone else has hit if you haven't"...so you need to be prepared to lay it down, or pay the premium to see turn and river.
Also -- consider trying to mix it up a little. Sometimes play it slow. Throw in a check raise now and again. Don't forget about the shove altogether. Everything has a time and place... Is AQ better than a made pocket pair? For a heads up shove against one opponent, it is a flip. However, pre-flop, the only hands which are likely to call a pre-flop shove are made hands and other upper level premium hands. So AA, KK, AK and a pocket pair against AQ? It means you need to hit every time. Whereas, devaluing AQ a bit will allow you to simply play it like a normal hand, but with its premium benefits plus the bonus of being hidden. So then when an A or Q (or straight or flush) presents itself post-flop, you have some strength to call down some small bets after a missed flop, but can safely muck if others hit the flop.
As you know, this is easier said than done...
In terms of the hand that I have struggled with? I have had several hands for which I have had to change (or at least diversify) my play. AA, AK, AQ and JJ have changed, though JJ the most. AK/AQ/JJ no longer have a default shove for me. JJ is one of those hands which has killed me Sooooooo many times. The fact is, it is just a mediocre pocket pair. Worse than mediocre because it has the temerity to *look* good, but be beaten by soooo many hands.
But if you just treat JJ the same as no stronger than JT, you can play it accordingly. Call or min raise pre-flop. Check out the flop. If nothing higher than a J on the board, you may be good to start exercising pressure/aggression. However, if A, K, or Q flop, you are now on a hand which goes down in strength, proportional to the number of opponents still in the hand.
Cheers,
ObbleeXY
