I`m at a $25NL table at Paradise. I`m $7 down with $18 in chips.
I`m dealt in second position and call (.50c/.25c are the Blinds)

It`s a full table and after one other player limps a guy in MP raises to $1.50
The Button,SB and BB all call so i decide to as well. The guy who also limped called so we`re five handed for the $7.50 pot

Flop
It`s checked to me and knowing the initial raiser will probably lead out i check also. The lead better raises to $2.50. The BB calls and so with $12.50 in the pot i also call. The limper calls behind me so we`re now three handed for a pot of $15.
Turn
BB checks, the limper and i also check and the lead out guy raises to $3.
BB folds and knowing i`m about 5/1 i call. Limper calls and the pot now stands at $21.50
River
I go All-in with my last $11 and both opponents call. A nice pot of $54.50.
The limper actually had and the initial raiser didn`t show but proceeded to give me a hard time...mainly about the pre-flop call of his $1.50 raise.
I know my play post flop was ok percentage wise but was my initial call right, or was he correct in his criticism?

First off, the guy shouldn't be berating you for your play, but I'll give you a quote from CardPlayer magazine for this:

"Experienced players who aren't in the game just for thrill of the gamble know that A-x suited in early position isn't much of a hold'em hand"


It's pretty to look at, but the simple fact is that you are not going to win with this hand most of the time. You will have to basically have to make three 2's or a flush to feel safe. With the ace, you will be outkicked 90% of the time in a full ring game, and even if you hit two pair you will be vulnerable.

This is a hand you really don't want to play in early position, because you absolutely don't want to have to call a raise with it. You then are playing the rest of the hand with a marginal holding OOP, and that's a recipe for disaster

Your right of course, Asuited is generally a bad hand for me, but .50c is such a piddling amount that i`m gonna call most of the time at that level in that position to see what happens behind me. If the guy had raised say to $2.50 and hence got fewer callers i would have folded.

yeah .50 is a piddling amount, but you have to look at it in relation to blinds. It is one big blind. By calling this out of position you are setting yourself up to throw money away, either when they raise and you call (and most of the time miss the flop), or like you said, when they raise a bit more and you fold. When you do that you're just throwing a big blind away every time, whereas if you do it in position, you have less of a chance of losing extra money.

There's no way I'm playing A2s in a raised pot EP

Surely A2s 5 ways is far preferable to A2s 2 or 3 ways in a raised pot?

Playing A2s in a 5 way pot with the intention of making top pair would be dumb. If you are prepared to bet the flop when 2 diamonds hit, and also able to check and fold if no diamonds hit and an ace does, then I don't see why you shouldn't play it (for correct price and in late position).