PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) converter

MP3 (t1280)
Hero (t1875)
Button (t1425)
SB (t1520)
BB (t1670)
UTG (t2180)
UTG+1 (t1810)
MP1 (t930)
MP2 (t810)

Preflop: Hero is CO with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 calls t30, 1 fold, MP2 calls t30, 1 fold, Hero calls t30, 1 fold, SB completes, BB checks.

Ok...AJo is a decent starting hand, but not one I really want against several opponents. Should I have raised here to drive out the crap or because it's so early in the tournament and there are still many fish left, should I just call and see a cheap flop? I've been using AQ as a raising hand after several limpers anything less I've been limping also...is this right?

Flop: (t150) , , (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 bets t60, MP2 calls t60, Hero raises to t250, SB calls t250, BB folds, UTG+1 calls t190, MP2 folds.

UTG+1's bet didn't bother me...because of the size, I figured it was either a flush draw that wanted to avoid a bigger bet or a TPMK type bet...I figured a decent size raise would define my hand and let me know where I was. I also figured about a pot sized bet would take away odds to the FDs and make calling a mistake.

Turn: (t960) (3 players)
SB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero bets t500, SB calls t500, UTG+1 folds.

When this fell...I knew I wanted to bet, but I was afraid of the pot sized bet. I wanted to make sure I left myself some chips for the rest of the game if I get the feeling I'm beat. Nobody has shown any strength so I figured I still have the best hand...After the hand was over (actually as soon as I pushed the bet button) I realized this was too low. It gave anybody with the FD the odds to call.

I also realized that it probably wouldn't have mattered. Anybody who was still in it after my flop bet with a FD would have called damn near anything. They either had a decent hand or were making bad calls...I'm still debating on this bet. WIth my chip stack size at this point I really didn't want to get pot committed with just TPTK.

River: (t1960) (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

I thought a long time before checking this. SB had been playing very erratic. He took some chips off me earlier drawing to the inside of the str8...he could have been doing the same thing here. I decided that this was a situation where the only hand that would call a bet on the river was one that had me beat so folding wouldn't accomplish anything. Is this correct thinking with the way the hand went down?

Final Pot: t1960

Results in white below:
SB has 2h Th (one pair, tens).
Hero has Jd As (one pair, jacks).
Outcome: Hero wins t1960.

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Toyotatruck

I wouldn't say you donked it. Just got a little gun shy.

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Maybe could have bet about 800 on the turn to give incorrect odds.

I would definitely check the river as like you say he is unlikely to call with something you are beating.

Nothing wrong with how you played it. You made 1200 chips on the hand. There is no way for sure to know how SB is playing. Did he hit trips and thought he could check raise you on the end? See the showdown and grab the the chips. Be happy that you got the donks chips while showing down a good hand. On top of this, you have set up a beautiful table to slow play a monster if you get one. The table now knows you bet your winners.

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RECENT SUCCESS: December
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500 on the turn already gave incorrect odds of less than 3:1 (2.92:1 to be exact) while a flush draw on the turn was 4.1:1 and a OESD was 4.7:1.

You still had Button and 2 blinds behind you - a standard 3xBB bet could have eliminated at least one and probably 2 of them if not all three! A-Jo in this position is worth a raise IMO.

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I would of raised this hand also.

I would even raise down to QJ but thats just my style of play, remember they dont know what your raising with unless you get to a showdown, the only time to stop raising any 2 face cards is when its reraised back at you.

You played the rest of the hand fine.

there is 270 in the pot on the turn when you raise to 250. SB has to call 190. He is only getting 2.7:1 so technically your bet it ok, but I like to bet a little more when they have money in the pot. I would have probably kicked up to to 300-350.

I like your turn bet - but I probably would have gone 600 personally. If you don't know what to do on the river a check is fine. JT is a completely reasonable holding from the way he played the hand.

I want to focus on the preflop call. I personally hate to just call with a a hand like AJo because I don't know what to do with it when I flop top pair against 5-6 people. It seems like it is a hand where you are always way ahead or way behind and I burn alot of chips finding out which. I would either raise or fold this preflop depeding on the usual factors - position/other players/image/etc. - I would never call this. It seems like it is hard to flop a monster with this hand except rainbow 10/Q/K (well of course trips or a boat but you can do this same amount of time with any two cards).
I only call in NL tourneys in the early levels with suited connectors and small pairs where I know when I am ahead and can either flop a true monster or nothing. I can then cheerfully fold or commit alot of chips without much guesswork.
(I am no NL expert, so somebody please tell me what I am missing or getting right here.)

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Raise preflop, play vs 2 players in position or with blinds that have more defined hands
call preflop, play vs 4-5 players with posibility of buttong coming, along with blinds that have completley undefined hands.

I raise it.

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“There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about.” - John von Neumann

I want to thank everybody for comments. I've started paying attention to this type of situation a little more closely because of this. This is why I post HHs. As you can tell by the title, I was fairly sure I had screwed it up pretty bad, but I wanted comments as to why...Thanks again.

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Toyotatruck