Getting into the Pot with Ace Suited Small and/or Suited Conn

[braveboat27]

Frequent occurrence, in middle to late position with two or three to act after me, with something like A6 suited. No one but the blinds in the pot yet. I generally make the same bet when first to enter the pot, but it feels like 3.5X the BB is too much here. It essentially makes it a steal attempt.

Would you fold here, limp, or bet the 3.5 BB?

Similar situation with 67suited, although you really want more people in the pot with that. What would you do with those, first to act, middle to late position?

[Fictive]

First to act, I never, ever, ever, limp. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. I bet 98 times out of a 100. Same goes for the 67 as well. Then again, the ace-rag and 67s I would muck from MP most of the time (depends on the table).

[braveboat27]

Yeah; I never limp when first to act, either. I'm thinking about the first two seats right of the button... How often would you play the Ax suited small, or the 67 suited? Half the time?

[Brooklynbum]

Is this a tournament or cash game?

It makes a difference.

[C8H10N4O2]

It really makes a huge difference cash game or tournament. Stack sizes of the blinds, the aggressiveness of the players to act after me, how much is in the pot (are there ante's?) all matter here. Playing these hands for me is highly highly dependent on so many factors.

[GainerRakeback]

CASH GAME
I agree that you should always enter the pot raising, but I don't think betting Ace/ rag (6-9) is a good idea to start with. What are you hoping to catch? If you raise and get 2 callers and an Ace hits the flop, what next? You continuation bet the flop and get called or re-raised. You could very easily be up against a bigger Ace. You have no idea where you stand. If your cards are suited, then play for the flush only and be prepared to get away from a flopped Ace if you have a multi-way pot and callers if you miss. Most books on poker tell us to stay away from Ace/rag for those reasons. But I see all Aces being played a lot. It's amazing how players play A7 strong and get beat.

Playing Ace/ (2-5) off-suit for a straight is played by some. I play that in late position since I dont want to start calling re-raises. Some say it's a leak, which isn't completely untrue, but if A3 hits against someone playing AK, and you get a flop like (K45) and turn of (2), usually you get paid off big. That straight is disguised very well. I think you need to hit some big unusual hands over time.

TOURNEY
In tourneys I'd play it like above early in tourney with very small blinds but not gamble much when blinds get real big. Not worth the chips. Chips are too valuable. Just fold it. In a cash game, your stack is rechargeable.

[braveboat27]

CASH GAME
I agree that you should always enter the pot raising, but I don't think betting Ace/ rag (6-9) is a good idea to start with. What are you hoping to catch? If you raise and get 2 callers and an Ace hits the flop, what next? You continuation bet the flop and get called or re-raised. You could very easily be up against a bigger Ace. You have no idea where you stand. If your cards are suited, then play for the flush only and be prepared to get away from a flopped Ace if you have a multi-way pot and callers if you miss. Most books on poker tell us to stay away from Ace/rag for those reasons. But I see all Aces being played a lot. It's amazing how players play A7 strong and get beat.

Playing Ace/ (2-5) off-suit for a straight is played by some. I play that in late position since I dont want to start calling re-raises. Some say it's a leak, which isn't completely untrue, but if A3 hits against someone playing AK, and you get a flop like (K45) and turn of (2), usually you get paid off big. That straight is disguised very well. I think you need to hit some big unusual hands over time.

TOURNEY
In tourneys I'd play it like above early in tourney with very small blinds but not gamble much when blinds get real big. Not worth the chips. Chips are too valuable. Just fold it. In a cash game, your stack is rechargeable.

So, when you DO decide to get in late with A rag, do you raise 3.5BB?

[tercermundo]

imo, you get in in three situations

1)youre in the position before the dealer button and everybody folds behind you.. here you get in raising imo, but you play cautiously at the flop since its a week hand

2) contrary with what many people think, you cant limp in in various situations, if youre in the same position i mentioned before and theres a limper behind you, you can limp, the dealer isnt gonna raise that much with 2 limpers behind him and small and big blind are gonna raise with good hands, if the limper behind you calls the raise in this situation youre probably beat, so you fold, but if he folds, and the dealer is not in the hand, you can call with position and take the pot later

3) everybody folds and youre in the dealer position and you raise, remember that its a good idea to always make the same raise always, with bad or good hands. in this situation with only the blinds in the pot youre Ace is normally good, but always proceed with caution, since you can get in trouble siwh A rag hands.

sorry for my bad english btw, its not my first language!