You need to find your happy place then PF. You need to increase your raises to sizes that start eliminating people from the pot, but not too big that you run them off or are forcing all-ins. You just need to make that raise big enough to get the dxesired effect. There is no textbook sized raise, even though a lot of the clones will say always raise 3-5 bb's, you need to adjust your play to the table conditions.

why are you raising 5bb with AJ?
I suggest you play more passive with this kind of table. limp with AQ-A9 etc..
Limp with JJ-22... (although i suggest making raises in pots where your are late to act, and many ppl have folded).

If a bunch of ppl have limped, and you get AK in the CO, pushing it up to 4-5bb is sometimes not enough unfortunately.

I think its more of an error to limp with AJs than to raise it. I would rather fold it than limp.

You don't want them folding when you have equity advantages. Just put a lot of money into the pot and play straightforward postflop.

Well if i have a strong drawing hand like AJs, I'm happy to find 6 callers...
That means you probably have the best of it on 4-5 callers.
Another good thing, is that you will know if somebody hit a set, cuz they will try to take the pot down right there. Especialy if a big draw is in there.

However, You have to play it well on the flop... I got burned lately hen I flopped 2 pairs with the exact same hand. AJs! tought I was VS A9, and POW... was wrong, the 9s limp-called preflop!!!

Anyway, I know what you mean, sometimes its really frustrating to raise when you want to thin the fienld and you find 5 callers...

But remember, most of the time its a good thing to be facing a lot of callers.

Would you prefer to fish in a lake where you know 500 fishes are in of 5000?

KJ

Originally Posted by tightagressive

depends on position. utg raising with aj suited or not isnt a great idea (at a full table. utg 5 handed, ace jack is a great hand to open with)

It is somewhat risky to raise with AJ UTG because you would probably have to fold it to a large re-raise unless the situation is right. Or at least thats what the books would prescribe.

I don't care if you raise or not, AJs is one of those hands that it's play is dictated by the current table conditions. But if you want to Raise it, Then raise enough to get your desired result, whatever that may be. If you know that the 'standard' raise won't do anything than build the pot, then just limp it.