Help w/ AQ, AQs!

[dstir2]

I am desperate. I cannot win with this hand. It's haunting me. In the past 24 hours or so I have lost close to 90$ holding this hand 5-6 times. Lost to a slow-played flopped flush, and an a-k that hit its k on the river after i had bet big both turn and river w/ TPTK after the flop. How do you all handle this hand? I have been raising it from all positions if I'm oopening the pot, 3XBB with AQ in early, 4XBB w/ AQs, in middle to late, I have raised 4-5XBB unsuited or not. I just feel like this an incredible leak in my game and wanted to know how you all handled this hand. (It's so bad, I dont need PokerTracker to let me know its my worst-played hand!)

[Rondavu]

Aahhh, I win with it constantly. I can't even remember the last time I showed down and lost with it. It's AQ. It's a huge hand. However, much like AK it needs help.

People who lose with big hands such as AQ are usually OVERVALUING postflop. You need to be aware of when you're beat and be able to fold "one top pair" type of hands. This is where you lose money to reverse implied odds.

Don't allow the black hole known as reverse implied odds to drain you. You take a big hand as far as it will take you and at the exact point that it's beat you drop it like it's hot.

You sound like you need a marriage counselor

[Greedo017]

post some hands.

I tend to agree with rondavu here. this probably isn't just aq, its gonna happen for all your top pair hands. even if you marry hands like aa/kk, you're gonna make money just not as much. its important to be able to drop aa/kk sometimes. ak/aq, you need to learn that they're going to lose sometimes, and its very important to be able to drop these. I think a good general rule especially at lower limits, is that if you're getting reraised, consider laying it down. a reraise in a passive world means business.

[Element187]

if you play with the same peoplel for long enough, you start learning their tendencies, they only raise big when they have the goods .. they just call when their not sure ... use all the free info out there when your not in a hand to your advantage in a later hand .. pay attention and pay attention some more.

[Checkways]

I am desperate. I cannot win with this hand. It's haunting me. In the past 24 hours or so I have lost close to 90$ holding this hand 5-6 times. Lost to a slow-played flopped flush, and an a-k that hit its k on the river after i had bet big both turn and river w/ TPTK after the flop. How do you all handle this hand? I have been raising it from all positions if I'm oopening the pot, 3XBB with AQ in early, 4XBB w/ AQs, in middle to late, I have raised 4-5XBB unsuited or not. I just feel like this an incredible leak in my game and wanted to know how you all handled this hand. (It's so bad, I dont need PokerTracker to let me know its my worst-played hand!)

If you're basing your bad run with AQ on the last 24hrs, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I've had aces cracked almost everytime for two weeks and I never blamed the hand or my play.

When I first started playing no limit, AQ was my bad mojo hand. I lost a lot of cash with this hand usually to AK, KK, and AA.

Now, I play it much more carefully. If I flop A or Q I bet 60-100% of the pot (dependent on the size of the pot or which top pair I hit). If someone bets into me, I raise them for information. If they smooth call, I will bet maybe half the pot on the turn, maybe a little more or less. If I get raised, I usually fold. Depending on the board and my position, I may check the river.

I am desperate. I cannot win with this hand. It's haunting me. In the past 24 hours or so I have lost close to 90$ holding this hand 5-6 times. Lost to a slow-played flopped flush, and an a-k that hit its k on the river after i had bet big both turn and river w/ TPTK after the flop. How do you all handle this hand? I have been raising it from all positions if I'm oopening the pot, 3XBB with AQ in early, 4XBB w/ AQs, in middle to late, I have raised 4-5XBB unsuited or not. I just feel like this an incredible leak in my game and wanted to know how you all handled this hand. (It's so bad, I dont need PokerTracker to let me know its my worst-played hand!)

If you're basing your bad run with AQ on the last 24hrs, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I've had aces cracked almost everytime for two weeks and I never blamed the hand or my play.

When I first started playing no limit, AQ was my bad mojo hand. I lost a lot of cash with this hand usually to AK, KK, and AA.

Now, I play it much more carefully. If I flop A or Q I bet 60-100% of the pot (dependent on the size of the pot or which top pair I hit). If someone bets into me, I raise them for information. If they smooth call, I will bet maybe half the pot on the turn, maybe a little more or less. If I get raised, I usually fold. Depending on the board and my position, I may check the river.

good detailed advice, thanks

[boyobach]

I limp with AQ/AQs in EP, may consider a raise in MP and will raise in LP.

If you don't get any reraises and an A comes on flop, you have to think you have best hand doing this as any AK out there would surely raise.

Also, you should be able to get money out of any AJ out there by doing this.

[Zangief]

Are you calling raises or reraises preflop with AQ?

If people are slowplaying AA or KK or AK and trapping you, there isn't a whole lot you can do. But if you are calling raises or especially reraises preflop with AQ, that could be a source of trouble.

I believe I saw on another post that a lot of the regulars here think that folding to a single preflop raise with AQ is too tight. I don't necessarily agree. If the raise is in late position and you are in later position or the blinds, I'd probably call or reraise. But if it is an early position raise, it's probably a bad idea. Calling raises when you are dominated is a way to quickly get into trouble. If they have JJ, you could be good ... but AA, KK, QQ, and AK each have you bent over the barrel.

I tend to be a little looser calling with AQs ... but this is probably just a beginner's love of suited cards that I haven't abandoned.

[studboyjoe]

there is certainly the surprise factor that comes into play by only calling the blinds with AQ, as it is almost certainly the best hand in a non-raised pot. However, the disadvantages associated with having to play it against a lot of limpers negate the benefits, unless you're sure you'll only go against 1 or 2 opponents. I usually raise it a significant amount PF to assure a heads-up confrontation.

[biondino]

The thought of slowplaying AK makes me feel nauseous.

[Element187]

You sound like you need a marriage counselor

[boyobach]

Are you calling raises or reraises preflop with AQ?

Depends on who's raising. I will call against loose players wherever they raise from.
I would also call a small raise from a tighter player if he raises from late.

It depends on my mood, table style etc. As with you, I will be a little looser with my raise calls with AQs, than with AQ

[Zangief]

Are you calling raises or reraises preflop with AQ?

Depends on who's raising. I will call against loose players wherever they raise from.
I would also call a small raise from a tighter player if he raises from late.

It depends on my mood, table style etc. As with you, I will be a little looser with my raise calls with AQs, than with AQ

What about in the specific hands that have been plaguing you? Did you call preflop raises with AQ?

I'm trying to help you figure out if that is the problem or if it is something else.

[Aces]

Post some hand histories. As others mentioned, you may be playing them too strong out of position or calling raises/reraises where maybe you shouldn't. Or it could just be short term bad beats/variance.

[dstir2]

thanks for the advice everyone. while i dont have any hand histories, i have started making more continuation bets with this hand, after playing just as aggressively PF as a/k, and it seems to be working. i haven't really a strong aggressive/continuation betting style until the past few days, and its really helping me out. I guess I was kind of a loose/passive who liked to slowplay, but now I'm really seeing the benefits of betting for info, even when the flop comes T72 when im holding AQ. I'm pretty sure that was the problem I was having.