After not playing for 15 months, I've been going back to live poker at the local charity room after Covid restrictions have been removed. Frankly, I'm feeling rusty and have lost about 5 BIs over the last month. Maybe I'm running bad, but I can't do anything about that. So I want to see if there is more to fix.

This hand occurred during Friday afternoon. The room is 8 handed with a 5+2 rake structure. There's high hand promotion running for best hand (full house or better) every 1/2 hour for $250. We're at 7 handed because one player is walking. Everyone other than Villain 1 is a male at least in their mid 40's or older. It is 1/2 with 2 1/3 games running as the biggest games. There's no noobs at the game, but the regulars aren't particularly sophisticated. It is fairly passive, but most of the time there is a raise pf. Very little 3 betting going on.

V1 is much younger than everyone else (20s, early 30's) and clearly has done some level of study. He got into a discussion with a regular about why limping with aces is bad. Was savvy enough after a few minutes to realize that most of the table agreed with the regular that limping aces is good and dropped it. He's raising the most at the table but limps on a regular basis as well. The one hand of note was he got check raised on the turn with a set of deuces, then shoved on the river. He hem/hawed for several minutes, showed his set to the other player, and that other player looked his hand, then showed an ace to have at least TP. V1 finally folded. He then got up and walked away from the table for about 15 minutes. So I put him as a primary online player, since he missed the obvious tell.

V2 fits the profile of the table. He almost never raised pf and is passive. Had only been at the table for 30 minutes or so but had limped in 4-5 times, so probably loose.

Hero's image if anyone is paying attention is that he's a losing player. Have topped off 100 a couple of times. Folded a couple of times to raises on the turn after raising pf and betting the flop and turn. Tightest player at the table (shocking!).

On to the hand. Hero($180) is the SB and there is a $5 button straddle on so Hero is first to act. Over half the table has Hero covered. I have ATs (clubs) and should? If raising, how much?

If I'm on my A game this is nomally a fold.

But since it's a PAHWW, raise to $15.

Based on table dynamics being generally passive, I’m ok limping this and possibly calling a raise depending on raise size and number likely to see flop. I can see arguments for opening and folding as well.

Doesn’t sound like we will get 3-bet often but raising from the SB with button straddle on will often result in a calling train and therefore a multi-way low SPR flop with a pretty crappy hand unless we flop really well. We also seem likely to be just flatted by dominating aces IP.

Raise to 20.

This is one of those cusp hands, but it's pretty the bottom of my opening range here. It really depends on table dynamics as far as how much to raise to. If I were sitting at a 1/2 game and it was my first hand at the table I would go $30.

being a long timer why are u not capped at 300$ ?

I never ever limp SB so its a raise of fold
being your not capped off its a fold

I hate being OOP, but that hand plays well multi-way. So, I limp and see what develops. Maybe Hero will start a limpfest.

I think if I’m on my A game I fold this, and any other time I raise to 20 or 25.

I don’t want to limp here because if I do, there’s no future action that I like. If it limps around and we see a flop, we’re out of position and rarely going to flop strong enough that we don’t care. If someone raises, we definitely don’t want to call that raise because at a passive table we should expect anyone who raises to have us in bad shape. So, might as well just fold the first time, I think.

That leaves raising. I like raising better than limping, but we are first in, and if we start a call train, then we could be dominated and unable to get away from our hand due to how little we started with. And with a losing image, we should not expect to have enough fold equity to make up for this. So this leads me to think I want to fold now.

raise 15, 20 works as well since there is xtra dead money. ATs is always an open for me even in this tighter (BTN straddle) config folding the off-suit version and in a tough game (it’s live 1-2 so unlikely) folding AJo.

7-handed, I think this is a standard open, $20, vs this lineup.

It's not an optimal spot, but an experienced can navigate. Since we are OOP, we'll be doing a good bit of Xing.

We mostly raise to 20 because we want to negate the Big Blind's (i.e. the Button's) positional advantage.

We also have to worry about getting 3-bet by everyone behind us, if we were CO and it folded to us I would agree similar to going larger SB v BB

Never open-fold ATs in a cash game barring some stupid fringe situations like knowing someone behind likes their cards a lot. Raise to $20 is fine.

We’re 36bb eff in the worst position, this is a situation I’m looking to fold often pre

This is a low stakes game. People 3bet far less than they should and they call far more than they should. The risk of facing 3bet is far smaller than the probability the Button will call your raise.

If you get 3bet, you can fold, it's fine. If many people call, it's also fine, you charged them when your range was the strongest. The lower SPR decreases our positional disadvantage.

Good summary.

I am raising this if the table isnt particulary tough to navigate. If its other good players at the table, or creative aggro opponents who will make my life suck postfop alot i dont mind folding pre either.

Good discussion so far. My thinking then and now is that ATs is a top 6% hand. Given my image at the table, tightening up isn't a horrible strategy. However, there was a 73% change it was the best hand at the table. If I can't navigate at that advantage, I should more likely fold and then get up from the table.

That said, ATs has lots of RIO characteristics. I feel that calling is the worst option. So a raise it is.

Hero raises to 15. V1(covers) min-raises in the BB to $30. V2($130) calls in the LJ position and the action is back on Hero. Pot is $68. What's Hero's move? If raising, how much?

Don't know what to make of the min-raise from the described player, but I think calling with an ace blocker at this price is probably > folding.

After cold calling >20% of the eff stack, I think our fold eqy (4B) is very limited vs. V2.

If you think his range is nutted, it's a trivial call. If you think he might have speculative hands on this spot, it's a bluff shove.

It's a bad play by the villain btw.

Ugh. Perceived tightest player opens from worst position and gets min 3-bet out of the BB. V2 is still likely wide coldcalling as described and at this sizing.

We are too shallow to 4-bet/fold.

Folding at this price seems wrong. So I guess I call and prepare to c/f flop a lot or GII in marginal spots with this SPR.

Min-raise at low-stakes is super-nuted (unless you have observed OOL behavior before). Closing the action I call and hope to flop KQJ

Pre is way too small, that's just asking to go 6 ways OOP. I just call. Even described villain's range should be extremely nutted with the given configuration. His 3 bet is too small to fold to though.

I would have folded to begin with. The button straddle just puts you at too much of a disadvantage. ATs has a lot of RIO potential at tables where people flat call AK/AQ. Setting yourself up with the worst position with a hand where good flops are usually draws is bad. With a losing image you will have even less FE preflop.

As played, min raise is usually a monster in this sort of game. The caller improves your pot odds but his calling range likely includes AK/AQs and probably hurts your overall chances of winning slightly. Pot odds are good enough that I'm indifferent to making a call and folding. Which is actually better would depend on the range the caller has.

Unlike pf, there is seems to be a consensus to call the raise. I called.

The flop comes Qh, 7c and 4c with a pot of $83. I'm first to act. Bet or check? If betting, how much? Hero has $150 remaining, V1 covers and V2 has $100.

Check and evaluate. Ideally V1 checks or make a small bet, if he bets too big you will have to fold. Don't think about a check/shove here because V1 isn't likely to fold.