I've been playing occasionally at a local casino the $25 to $120 tourneys with usually about 60-150 players and ran into trouble with AQo UTG a couple times, I'm curious how others might play them. Both times were about mid game, and I had an above average stack (15ish BBs perhaps as the blinds are starting to really increase) and lost major pots both times. Is AQ such a trouble hand UTG that I should just be folding these and waiting for a hand in position or am I just getting coolered?

1st time, I bet 3xBB preflop and get called from the BB. Flop comes A74 and my opponent shoves post flop from the BB with A7 (2 pair) I call and am crippled, Im out a few hands later.

2nd time, I bet 4xBB preflop and get mid position and small blind calls. The flop comes Ah-10c-6c, I shove and get called by QQ and 10-10, and with another 10 on the turn two of us are both drawing dead. Once again Im crippled and out a few hands later.

I'm starting to think AQo is a fold preflop from early position .... agree?

 

Originally Posted by sey_when

I think it is okay to fold A Q under the gun early in a tourney since u have plenty of time to wait for a better hand but when you get deep and the blinds are high u should shove pre everytime since there is so much dead money out there. All in all I think you got some trap flops and got unlucky.

Ummmm, NO! You have to play these in live low-buy tournies. It depends on the structure but when you do the math on most live tournies with buys below 200 you find your effective starting M < 12 sometimes M < 10 when you sit down. Don't be confused by the rule of thumb ratio of starting pot to stack, M is how many orbits before you blind off. If the levels are 15 min you'll get maybe 1.5 orbits per level, if you don't play a hand 6 or 8 levels (9-12 orbits) in you'll blind off. This gives you an effective M in the 9 to 12 range when you buy in :) Can you say PUSH FEST?

my 2 cents