playing ace-rag in small blind

[nateofdeath]

How would you play it? Probably an easy question, but i'm curious.

-n


pokerstars Game #5435719768: Tournament #26990708, $3.00+$0.30 Hold'em No Limit - Level VII (100/200) - 2006/07/02 - 21:47:34 (ET)
Table '26990708 10' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: badazz29 (8548 in chips)
Seat 2: Chriscou (5180 in chips)
Seat 3: ICuRaRook (6295 in chips)
Seat 4: sharpman39 (1045 in chips)
Seat 5: AR1121 (1771 in chips)
Seat 6: nateofdeath (8000 in chips)
Seat 7: IsaAlMasih (5858 in chips)
Seat 8: mattny29 (2981 in chips)
Seat 9: wilb1234 (6531 in chips)
badazz29: posts the ante 25
Chriscou: posts the ante 25
ICuRaRook: posts the ante 25
sharpman39: posts the ante 25
AR1121: posts the ante 25
nateofdeath: posts the ante 25
IsaAlMasih: posts the ante 25
mattny29: posts the ante 25
wilb1234: posts the ante 25
nateofdeath: posts small blind 100
IsaAlMasih: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to nateofdeath [5d Ah]
mattny29: folds
wilb1234: folds
badazz29: calls 200
Chriscou: folds
IsaAlMasih said, "hey diz"
IsaAlMasih said, "z"
ICuRaRook: folds
sharpman39: calls 200
AR1121: folds
nateofdeath:

 

[ChuckTs]

For me, it's a raise or fold situation based on my table image, and my opponents' table image.
I raise if I've stuck to my tight-aggressive style, and they notice that I'm in the SB, and am not afraid to raise with my 'strong' hand.
Otherwise, I'm tossing this.

 

[Stick66]

Only 2 limpers makes a small pot. So I'm with Chuck. Raise to steal or fold and play on. A bigger unraised pot might be a different story.

 

[Fish]

Complete.
There's 925 in the pot and it costs you 100. Easy call.

 

[colin_147]

The limps in behind look kinda weak, possibly small suited connectors or a weak Ace. If you flat call and an Ace hits the flop, you will be first to act and will not really know where you are in the hand.

Raise to take down the pot, fold to re-raise

 

[t1riel]

I would raise. You got the chips and position.

 

[JacksNQueens]

Ace rag...

The problem with a raise here is one player only has about 1000 in chips left and the pot is at about 1000 now....and since the small stack called he probably has a decent hand and could well call a raise or move all in. Also, if you raise you might get called by two players and then be out of position for the rest of the hand. No it seems here the best play is a simple call. If the flop brings an ace depending on what else is there try checking to see if the ace is good and then bet out on the turn. You should still be able to get away from this hand fairly easy if you get a decent reraise.

 

[robwhufc]

The problem with a raise here is one player only has about 1000 in chips left and the pot is at about 1000 now....and since the small stack called he probably has a decent hand and could well call a raise or move all in.

I'd use his small stack to your advantage - a small raise will pressurise the next to act - badazz - to fold, as he'll suspect small stack will go all-in, meaning you'll have another chance to raise and put him all in. I don't think small-stack neccessarily has a strong hand - i'll certainly look to isolate him with A5 - he cant be much of a player if he's calling bets that total a 5th of his stack.

 

[nateofdeath]

Well, i hate the small blind because you're guarenteed to be first to act post flop. If i raise and catch an ace, well, maybe my opponent has a better ace. maybe i play too tight, but i have a feeling i would have gotten a caller with a raise (it wasn't exactly the most professional table in the world), and one of my few remaining donk instincts is that an ace is gold (okay, not entirelly true, but i didn't want to fold it considering i was already in the pot). had i been on the button, or even a seat ahead of it, yeah i probably would have put in a raise, but in such horrible possition, i limped in, and here's the problem with doing that, which i feel would have only been amplified had i more chips in the pot. i'll post the final results later.

-n

nateofdeath: calls 100
IsaAlMasih: checks
*** FLOP *** [5c Qs 2d]
nateofdeath: checks
IsaAlMasih: bets 1000
badazz29: folds
sharpman39: calls 820 and is all-in
nateofdeath:

 

[ctedards]

Well, i hate the small blind because you're guarenteed to be first to act post flop.
nateofdeath:

Great advice for any cards you have. Its really raise or fold unless you want to toss out a feeler when your ace flops.

 

[poettic1]

sometimes being first to act is great for you. any number of flops could miss everyone in the hand and your tickler could take it down or find the play with the legitement pair