AQ UTG

[thevillain]

In Party's 300k yesterday I got AQ under the gun 3 times in the early to mid stages of the tournament and managed to spew chips every time.
First time raised x3 , 1  caller in mid pos, flop K and two rags, fired two bullets at the pot and got called down by KQ.
Second time raised x3 got reraised by Tight player x3 my raise and decided to fold.
Third time limped 1 caller and BB. Flop Q106, two hearts. Bet 3/4 pot , BB check raised me hefty amount. I called and he bet the pot when the turn came a 9. Initially had him on a draw but the speed of he's bets made me to decide to fold.

Help, how do others play AQ from first pos in big tourneys??

[TightEnd]

fold?

[Newmanseye]

With balls of steel!

[kinboshi]

Yeah - I fold it, with balls of steel.

[doubleup]

"How do you play AQ in EP early stages" isn't a question that can be answered in isolation.  You have to consider your entire EP range and how AQ fits into it.  You want some sort of balance between limping and raising or you could consider miniraising with your entire EP range - this stops you getting married to the pot.  You might want to adopt a supertight EP range and not even play it - you really wouldn't be giving up very much.

[Rookie (Rodney)]

instaraise

[lazaroonie]

either very aggressively or not at all...

[MANTIS01]

I don't tend to raise much full-handed and utg with A-Q, particularly when the blinds are still relatively small. I don't think the hand is strong enough to make it a worthwhile play from this position. I will play the hand, but cheaply, and hoping to flop something.

In the later stages, and particularly short-handed, I would raise strongly and probably move all-in with it.

So I think the way to play this hand is situational and a number of factors should be considered.

[M3boy]

either very aggressively or not at all...

Very carefully!!

[boldie]

I find AQ relatively simple to play UTG...It's a very dangerous hand and you have to realise that.

Small blinds levels..you can limp..maybe call one raise (I ussually don't)
The higher the blinds get the more agressively you have to start playing them.

The "raising 3x the blinds" is always a bad idea in the early stages of a tourney no matter what hand you have. even Aces/Kings I raise more than that. (I recommend a standard of 5 BB's during the early stages of a tourney if you have a big hand) You will get a caller no matter what (unless the table is tight and you haven't played a hand in an hour) if the blinds are only 15-30/25-50.

Middle stages of a tourney is where your image comes into play and the sort of table it is. If you have a tight image on a fairly tight table you can raise with AQ and pick some blinds up. If you get  a caller you can almost always stick a  continuation bet in and get them to fold unless they are not paying attention to what you have done before or are tight players who actualy have something themselves (which you should know frm their pre-flop call and action before that)

Late stages of a tourney and all of a sudden AQ (suited) turns into something of a monster. If you have enough chips you should always raise with it from UTG on a tightisch table..simply to pick up the blinds. If yuo are at a very agressive table limp with it and hope LAG in late position raises to pick up the blinds (there's always one) and than reraise him to pick up the blinds and his raise. If he calls and you see a flop and think yuo can push him off it on the flop you take it on the fop.

Overplaying AQ and AJ is a mistake a lot of players make and it is the one mistake (together with playing JJ wrong) that costs most players their tourney life. You have to be carefull with it and pay a lot of attention to how the table is playing and what stage of a tourney you are at before you commit your chips with it.

[jakally]

Not averse to folding AQo, UTG in the early stages of a tourney.
Not a hand I want to play OOP, particularly against a reraise.

Would rather be playing suited connectors from that position early on.

[JoeStrummer]

Very tricky IMO. Positional is the best option or push late on from any position. The kind of hand i fold UTG early on in a comp.

[Horneris]

Dont think ive ever folded AQ utg in my life in any tourn.

Might start it now after reading this thread.

Id usually raise, then bet out whatever the flop.

[boldie]

Dont think ive ever folded AQ utg in my life in any tourn.

Might start it now after reading this thread.

Id usually raise, then bet out whatever the flop.

how does that ussually work for you though? I used to do the same but find it's a sure fire way to losing loads of chips.

[temp0r]

thats a shocking way to play out of position really. if you get flat called on the flop you don't know if theyre on a draw or just a pair. so then you'll probably check the turn unless you pair and give them an extra card to hit. you're never winning worthwhile pots with AQ early on UTG. until i'm under 20 BB i don't play it UTG. assuming i have average tournament chips.

you have to also remember early on people will often flat call with AK behind a raiser. you hit your ace. you bet. they raise. you think wheyyyy he's got a weaker ace theres no wayyyy i'm beat. but..yeah.. it's only AQ man.