Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:11 pm GMT by mooseontheloose
AQ kills me twice...
Wow, well I have had some of the worst cards ever over the last 2 days. Never seen a streak like this. Just entered into a $.50 MTT with 1st being $85 and here's how this went...
http://www.pokerhand.org/?433185
Was somewhat short-stacked and figured it was time to make a move. When he flipped over his cards I was shocked that they were that bad but happy I was so far ahead. Of course though, my first real hand of the entire tournament and he hits his Jack.
Following that I jump into a SnG, on the 2nd hand I'm dealt AQs in BB, 6 of the 9 ahead of me had called. I raise up from 40 to 140 (meant to raise to 180 but still) with a few calling. Flop comes 2Q9 rainbow. I bet out the pot, get called by villian. I figure he's on a straight draw and when a 5 comes on the board I go All-in. He calls, flips over Q9o for 2 pair and my A never came.
Needless to say, AQ hasn't been my friend today at all and I'm pretty bummed. I haven't lost anything to cry about but I've had such bad cards it was very depressing get knocked out to those kinds of calls 
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Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:25 pm GMT by ninetensuited
thats the biggest problem i have in cash games is wanting to play to loosely. and I think im on par with most of the others here when i say that sometimes playing AQ is a loose play. I think you made the right play though. and as far as the villian is concerned. He was in the best position possible he flopped 2 pair and has someone betting in to him. don't be upset about the lack of cards, just continue to play your game and the cards will come. You'll have swings of good days, and bad days. just learn to cope with them and play more when you have good days. Now if i can just take my own advice!
Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:45 pm GMT by mooseontheloose
I was more upset about going out on the MTT than the SnG, just made me shake my head when I lost with AQ again.
I know AQ is loose but I'm a fairly TAG player and had reasons for those hands.
In the MTT I was unhappy playing AQo but hadn't seen much at all the entire tournament. I wasn't hugely short-stacked but I was getting close with only 3000 and blinds at 200/400 - tourney average at this point was around 6000 so in my mind, I needed a double-up in the near future. I knew the guy was trying to bully me when he raised me, and if I'd misread and he flipped over AA I would've taken it like a man. But instead he flips QJo and gets lucky hitting a Jack. Maybe I misplayed this hand, but I thought it was correct at the time.
In the SnG I made 1 mistake on this hand I think. Having AQs in BB with no raises I figured a) I can either get the chips already in or b) I can make a play with this hand, hopefully heads up. I raised from 40 to 100 but did so by accident, I actually meant to raise to at least 200 but I still felt it was weird that he (and a few others) called that raise when he was holding Q9o. I felt I played the hand properly post-flop because most times in that situation he wouldn't be holding that hand and would likely be smooth-calling with a draw or possibly a set. I'm not angry the A never showed up, a little mad at myself that I messed up the preflop bet but also annoyed that he loosely played Q9o and got paid off.
Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 6:22 pm GMT by UtrechtSlim
I think the time you went all-in with top pair and top kicker you were really in on a shot in the dark. If you raise preflop to 3.5 times a call with Q9 is ill advised but villain proceeded anyway. By making that all-in move you practically advertised AQ from your betting pattern, making it an easy call for villain. I think it is better to value bet on the flop and the turn. When you get called twice you must assume you're beat. KQ or KJ or even KT would've folded by then. Bottom line is, I hardly ever go all-in with top pair, top kicker. Live to fight another day.
Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 6:38 pm GMT by mooseontheloose
Yeh, I don't blame his moves after the flop. Looking back, I think it would've been a lot different if I hadn't messed up the preflop bet. BTW, like I said I figured he was calling for the straight. I obviously misread and made the mistake on the bet so this was mostly my fault.
I had just lost the MTT like 5 minutes earlier, should've taken a break but oh well. As I said, was more annoyed by the MTT.
Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 6:49 pm GMT by UtrechtSlim
I think your preflop play was slightly tentative but in these tourneys you'll find many players that are willing to call even 4BB or 5BB preflop raises with marginal hands or even rags looking to hit a miracle flop and double up early giving them even more leverage. Like you said, it was the second hand in and calling preflop was relatively cheap. I think it's the postflop action that did you in there. However, if you keep making preflop raises when you have the best of it and getting called by that garbage, I presume you will be profitable in the long run. He made a mistake and was rewarded. Smile it off, I say.
Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 6:58 pm GMT by mooseontheloose
Yeh, I basically see it as:
a) I made a mistake in my preflop bet and got caught with a decent board
b) He made a mistake in playing the hand and got paid off
To be honest, I know that my postflop play was a little strong (too strong) but often in that situation (holding AQ following a raised flop with Q-high board) I'm often comfortable playing it aggressive. I would've been a lot more careful if he'd raised or re-raised preflop (with the possibility of a big pair, QQ for example) but he didn't.
Okay, assuming that we don't know his hand and my raise was proper (200+) and respected, and say I am reading him as a drawing hand --- was my postflop play wrong? (too strong, bad bets, etc.)
Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:17 pm GMT by UtrechtSlim
I can't say your postflop play was wrong flat out. It was too aggressive to my liking, but you oftentimes cannot make statements that definitive in poker. It's a game of imperfect science. It's questionable in the sense you have virtually no information on Villain, barring the remote possibility you happen to play this guy regularly. But there's no black and white to it. A case you can make is that it's early days and you ALSO want to double up to get more leverage. You had a very justifiable hand to play this aggressively. Once again, I would have value bet it twice and then hit the brakes, but that's my style. I do feel that debating about these things is extremely valuable. If I project my reality on that of others it makes me vulnerable. Today I lost a huge hand to a 4-to-1 dog that caught a running two pair on the turn after i had put him all-in on the flop with an overpair KK. I've never seen anyone play a hand as awfully as that guy. Sometimes the cards just bite you in the ass, that's all..lol
Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:02 pm GMT by mooseontheloose
Agreed, I usually won't play a hand like that so aggressively unless I know my opponent is either beat or will fold giving me the blinds. I suppose I was still angry from the MTT and allowed that to influence me into trying to double early.
Think I just didn't think it through enough, but yeh, sometimes even when you do think it through you'll still end up moving your chips to someone else. That's poker 
Posted Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:41 pm GMT by greathuskie
| UtrechtSlim wrote: | | . KQ or KJ or even KT would've folded by then. |
youve obviously never played low limits. or any limits, for that matter.
Posted Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:02 am GMT by MrDarling
What I don't like about the first hand on the mtt is your preflop action.
You had one raiser and you mini reraise? that shows weakness and I'm sure villain though you would fold for his allin. Instead, in this situation, as a SS you should be the one to push. With SS late in the game it is always always push all or fold. The only reason to mini raise is if your hand is so strong you want people to call.
Posted Mon Jul 31, 2006 6:37 am GMT by UrAteUp
On the first hand you would have been better off pushing all in pre-flop to make the min raiser think twice before entering the pot with a marginal hand. Once he saw the flop he knew he was left with push or fold.
Posted Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:18 pm GMT by mooseontheloose
I suppose raising from 400 to 1200 was a little weak. All-in preflop was a better choice I suppose looking back. Still can't believe he sucked out being dominated
Either way, thanks for the tips, still trying to learn everything. Sometimes I know the move I made was wrong but didn't think it through at the time.
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