In the first round of holdem tournament, while the blinds are low, limp with A-Q when you are in the first position. A-Q is a hand which can get you into trouble with when an ace comes on the flop and someone else has A-K, giving them a better kicker. When you are next to act or on the button and no one has entered the pot, raise three or four times the size of the big blind just as said earlier.
Whenever the blind increases the value of A-Q also changes. You will hold only so many premium hands during a tournament and to just stay alive in the higher rounds, you will have to put pick some blinds and antes. Since A-Q is not a premium hand but still it is a hand to raise with when the blinds increase. You can start making a normal raise of three to four times the big blind after the blinds reach the $50-$100 and higher levels.
Before you raise with A-Q, you need consider your rivals' style of play. For example, do they defend their blinds or they just give up, like they do in online bingo when you can not complete your bingo card without playing further? This factor is very significant in holdem tournament. This is the type of hand that you can play strongly when you are in the trouble and need to make your move.
Situation 27
The blinds are $10-$25. You are in the first position with $1000 chips in the stack. You are having
How will you play?
• You can raise to $100.
• You can fold.
• You can limp.
Conclusion
When the blinds are small, you should limp in with an A-Q because there isn't enough money in the pot to risk someone re-raising you. The Casino hire other players are still left to act after you if you raise and someone might wake up with a hand.
Now your rivals will fear that you might have something A-A and thus will not raise you. If you hit a good flop, you can win the pot.
Situation 28
The blinds are $300-$900 with a $50 ante. You are in the first position with:
There is $1400 in the pot from the blinds and antes. You have $3000 in chips. It is your turn to act next.
How will you play?
• You can limp.
• You can fold.
• You can raise to $1800.
• You can move all-in.
Conclusion
Here you will be costing $1400 for every round you play. In two rounds you will be almost broke. You need to improve your poker chip status. If you make a normal raise of between $1800 and $2400 you will be committed to the pot.
As you are not going to fold, move all-in to try to win the pot now and to keep your rivals from thinking they can make you fold any time they re-raise you.
Situation 29
The blinds are $200-$400 with $25 ante. You are in the first position having
There is $825 in the pot from the blind and ante money. You have $4000 in chips.
How will you play?
• You can limp.
• You can fold.
• You can raise to $1200.
• You can move all-in.
Conclusion
The blinds and the antes amount ($825) to about 20 percent of your $4000 stack. In Case 1, with only $35 blind money in the middle, the pot amounted to only about 3.5 percent of your $1000 stack. Now you can see how your chip position improves just by winning the blinds and antes when they get higher.
Therefore the correct play is the third option that is raising the pot.
How to play A-J
Like other hands, A-J is also trouble hand, which you should be playing very cautiously. You cannot call big bets with A-J. If someone raises the pot in front of you, you should be in a position to fold unless you are in a serious chips trouble. A-J is much more dangerous hand than A-Q because the jack is lower kicker than the queen.
From early to middle position, you should limp with A-J. From the late position, you can make the normal raise of three or four times the size of the blind if no one has come into the pot. Consider how aggressive the players in the blind are. If they are aggressive players, just limp to try to keep from involving too many of your chips in case one of them raises.
Also for the poker experience players, A-J is a tough hand to play in. With A-J you are looking the flops like K-Q, Q-T, 8-J-J and A-A-J.
Situation 30
The blinds are $10-$25. You are in the big blind with
Tight Tom brings it in for $100 in the first position. Everyone folded to you in the big blind.
How will you play?
• You can call.
• You can re-raise to $300.
• You can fold.
Conclusion
With A-J you don't want to put more money into the pot, especially a tight player like Tom. You don't want to flop a pair of aces and get into trouble against Tom's better kicker.
Therefore the correct play is to fold.