Game is weekly local 1/2 game

I understand position and play the majority of my hands from the CO, HJ, and BTN but every now and again I pick up somewhat premiums from the EP and feel I am basically handing $$$ over by raising into a multi-limped pot.

An easy example would be that I just recently had AJs in the BB and there was 5 limpers in the pot when action returned to me. So should I just be checking my option essentially playing this hand as if it were J-10s where I would definitely want to see a flop? or should I try and narrow the field with a nice sized raise?

Also if AJs if way too weak of a holding to raise from the BB in a multi-limped pot how about A-Qs? should that fall into the same category as AJs or should I play it with more strength? If so on either of these hands (AJs / AQs) from BB what is a good amount to raise into an $14 pot?

Also it should be noted that the majority of players in this game are there to socialize and most likely get away from there wives for a bit. They are there to gamble and to see flops. An average limp / calling range for most V's at this table consists of any suitors / connectors plus all face cards and any A-x hand. With a range being this wide it is hard to put opponents on hands once the flop comes out, be it wet or dry, especially if OOP.

Thanks for any advice
-CF

Depends a bit on game dynamics. If table is limp/calling a lot of bets, then I might just check it back preflop. Stack sizes matter a lot here too (both ours and V's)

But for the most part, definitely raising pretty big here and happy to take it down pre-flop. Even if it goes multiway, we have a hand that can flop well multi-way.

Given standard stack sizes, I'm probably raising to like $20 here and if we go multi-way, I'm probably check folding flops that I wiff on. C-betting any heads up flop. C-betting 3-way with any flush draw/Axx/Jxx.

Something along those lines...

I'd make it $12-15 almost every time depending on the amount of limpers/their calling tendancies. You're gonna get some moans and groans but it should narrow it down to heads up or maybe 2 callers at most tables in my experience. I would also never be checking it in the BB. Same goes for AQ.

You describe it being a social game. You can still make these squeeze plays in a social home game, you just have to remain friendly about it. As long as you stay chatty and keep the atmosphere light these guys will be happy to start calling. Some will even start to get a kick out of playing back at you which can be very profitable.

I think "narrow the field" is one of those terms everyone is better off just deleting from their poker vocabulary.

If it limps to you, AJs is almost certainly the best hand.

If you raise, you may win a significant number of big blinds outright which is nice.

You may get 1 or 2 callers which is nice.

And you might get 6 callers, which while difficult to play and while you will win the hand much less often, will still be +EV because they are putting money in with weaker hands.

If raising $20 gets a multitude of callers I would start raising larger amounts, not because getting the whole table to put in 10bb with a worse hand is a bad result but because apparently I can do even better.

IMO you have two options:
1(My option). Raise pre flop a ridiculous amount (20) to steal the blinds. If you get called you're probably against a pocket pair so it's a coin toss. When you hit you'll take it down. If you're raised by one of the limpers then snap fold because this is usually always indicative of AA,KK, or AK. If you do this frequently on the BB it only has to work a few times to be profitable.

2. You can limp and play ABC poker. Your choice.

I especially like option 1 since you said you're playing with gamblers.

You're not handing away money when you raise. Your opponents who limp-fold or limp-call with marginal hands are the ones handing away money.

It's important that you feel comfortable enough with skills like c-betting and double barreling OOP after the flop when you raise from this spot. If you're going to make too may mistakes OOP then maybe you shouldn't raise AJs. Personally, I'm almost always going to raise here. AJs is way too strong to just check it. I'd raise to something like $22.

Raise 10x.
If that gets 5 callers, then raise 15x.
If that gets 5 callers, then limp.

Would make it $18-22 and be fairly alright with 1-2 calls or folds around. $10 + extra $2 per limp give or take is how I came up with this number. Feel like it would generally be the worst hand I'm raising here.

I would raise unless a couple of these guys will limp AQ-type hands. I raise a normal amount and am happy to play some poker.

AQ is a mandatory raise IMO and so is TT, you give up too much value overlimping. Also raising KQss.

Any worse and I check my option into this many limpers. So that's AJo/ATss/99 and worse.

EDIT

'a good amount to raise' entirely depends on the table. I play live low stakes and I generally size my raises to the high end of the normal size. So a typical raise might be $13 to $18...I usually come in for around $20. It's not enough to snap fold everyone out but it creates bigger pots which is good since I generally play a strictly value range that is way ahead of the kind of crap that will call me.