This is very situational . . . .

Is this a tourney or ring? Limit or NL?

Depends on board texture, the players I'm against, the blinds, What my TP is (A8 on a 8 5 2 board is a little scary), what the PF action is, etc.

I could give you some overly general answer, but it's likely to fall apart under most circumstances. Try posting a specific example and I'll walk you through my thought processes in the hand . . .

I think its fairly important if we raised pf, or limped/called.

Agreed. Just too many variables to decide. Is the board T-6-2 and we hold AT? Or is it A-9-2 and we hold AK? What was the preflop action? Who are these players? What is my image? Do I need the cash to.....well, you get the idea.

Originally Posted by DaFish

ok, let's say I have AJo, raised 3x BB, 2 calls, in a NLHE tourney with low blinds.

Board is something like J73, 73 share a suit.

If I get called with a pot-sized bet, does it mean QQ+ or could it be JTs too, assuming all players are tight? And what about KJo, will I get called by that hand?

At the beginning of a tourney, it could mean anything. Your opponent could have a set, they could be slow playing an overpair, the could have TP-MK or WK, they could have middle pair. The beginning of a tournament is like walking in a minefield if you play these hands strongly, as (IMO) the value of TP this early has a negative expectation.

In the beginning, I don't raise weak hands like AJo (actually, I usually fold them in any position except the blinds here). I will play a lot of suited Ax's cheap, looking to hit a big hand like 2 pair, top pair with nut flush draw, trips, etc. On the flop, I don't bet weak top pairs, and will fold to a bet.

Unless I've taken a bad beat and have a low M, I'm not going to push this, because there's just too many maniacs who called my raise with 73s and now are going to trap me for a lot of chips by the time I figure it out.

My exception to my last post is AK/AQ. I will limp into the pot, and if I hit TP, go all in as fast as possible.

Every time I do this, I'm still amazed at the crap that calls me (low PP's that aren't sets, middle pairs, unpaired A's, KQ, inside straight draws, etc . . . )

Originally Posted by DaFish

ok, let's say I have AJo, raised 3x BB, 2 calls, in a NLHE tourney with low blinds.

Board is something like J73, 73 share a suit.

If I get called with a pot-sized bet, does it mean QQ+ or could it be JTs too, assuming all players are tight? And what about KJo, will I get called by that hand?

I like this flop and only have a small worry about a call this early in the tournament. Calling usually means one of two things, slowplaying or a passive/weak player. I'm gonna believe that the second is true more often than the first. I don't put my opponent on an overpair since there was no reraise PF. The board is very uncoordinated for either two pair or even a decent straight draw. So I put my opponent on TP/MK or a flush draw (who is ignoring the odds...happens all the time). My biggest worry is a slowplayed set.

BUT, since I got called on a full pot bet, I will only bet 1/2 on the turn (whether or not a scare card appears). If this is called, I will check the river and reconsider my options there. If the turn is raised, I know that I am probably beat...but I may call depending on the turn card and the size of the raise...but often I will fold.