.02NL Delt AJ

I was just wondering what you guys thought of this hand. I didn't have any reads or anything on these guys.

Stacks:
UTG+1 with $3.05
MP1 with $1.54
MP2 with $2.82
MP3 with $0.16
CO with $3.00
BTN with $3.26
SB with $2.09
BB with $0.23
UTG with $4.03




Blinds: $0.01/$0.02
Site: pokerstars
Dealt to UTG:A♣ J♥
Sklansky group 4
Preflop:
Hero calls [$0.02]
5 players fold.
BTN calls [$0.02]
SB calls [$0.01]
BB: checks
Total folds this street: 5
Potsize: $0.08
Flop:
Q♥ A♥ 6♥
SB: checks
BB: checks
Hero bets [$0.15]
BTN calls [$0.15]
2 players folded.
Total folds this street: 2
Potsize: $0.38
Turn:
8♥
Hero: checks
BTN bets [$0.12]
2 players fold.
Hero raises $0.23 to $0.35
BTN raises $0.23 to $0.58
Hero calls [$0.23]
Potsize: $1.54
River:
Q♣
Hero bets [$1]
BTN calls [$1]

I think you played it well, though I would have preflop raised to .08, but I probably would have put in much more along the way. I'm guessing you got boned on the river by some two pair boating, or maybe he had you on the turn with a weak king that limped and called along. I would say you played well though, but maybe hindsight says the no raise preflop let someone catch on you.

1) Raise preflop. This isn't optional.
2) I actually like your flop over-bet. Just realize that you're doing it.
3) I much prefer betting the turn. Many worse hands can call you, but often your opponent is going to be checking behind because he's scared of the flush and looking for a cheap showdown.
4) After you check the turn, just call his bet. I'm not happy making a giant pot here with the 2nd nut flush, even if it is 2$NL.

So yeah, if I were playing this hand, I'd play it like this: Raise preflop, bet flop, bet turn, bet river.

I would off raised before flop,Checked the flop ,raised again on the turn or checked raise the turn to see if I could win the pot on the turn and not let anyone with 2 pair catch a full house.

Yeah, I ended up getting beat by the higher flush, he had the king. Even UTG you guys would have raised preflop? I didn't think AJ off suit was strong enough to raise in that position

ericgarner118 said:

Yeah, I ended up getting beat by the higher flush, he had the king. Even UTG you guys would have raised preflop? I didn't think AJ off suit was strong enough to raise in that position

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If you're going to play it UTG, you need to raise it. Worse hands will call you, you want a lower SPR when playing top pair, ect. Limping this hand just allows the BB or SB to suckout against your hand cheaply, with you having a lot of money behind.

So yeah, raise preflop, don't go crazy on the turn with just the 2nd nuts (when the nuts is just the K♥).

ericgarner118 said:

Yeah, I ended up getting beat by the higher flush, he had the king. Even UTG you guys would have raised preflop? I didn't think AJ off suit was strong enough to raise in that position

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If your hand is not strong enough to bet UTG, fold. You should almost never check into an unchallenged pot from any position.

I fold A/Jo UTG in a FR game more than half the time. 100% of the time early in a game when I have no feel for the players yet. (A/Js I almost always open with) But *every* single time I play A/J UTG I open.

Even with hands like 6/6, unless you're playing with idiots who can't see past their own hand, open. You want to disguise your drawing hands while chasing people out who can outdraw you with weird stuff.

Opening gives you more ways to win (by making folding easier for them), and keeps smart people from figuring out what you have. You open with "?", one person calls, and you c-bet the A/9/2 flop. Did you hit the ace? Who knows? But suddenly his T/T doesn't look so great and he reluctantly folds. Whoo-hoo for raising with 6/6!

On the flip side. Someone limps UTG. I raise with A/K. The flop is A/6/2. He either check-raises, or opens and then calls my three-bet. Now I am done with the hand. He obviously hit is draw and has me crushed. Too bad for him he won't be getting the payoff he needs to make playing hands like that profitable.

I don't mind limping small pairs in early position, when playing 2$ NL. You don't have to worry about c-betting until 10$ NL.