Hi Everyone,

I'm curious what ya'll thoughts are on a hand I played recently.

This is live $2/$5 NLH, max buy-in is $500. The way this table is playing there are generally a lot of limpers that will frequently limp-call normal sized preflop bets.

Player 1 comes in for $5
Villain (~$500) Button: Raises to $20
Player 2 calls
Hero (~$850) SB: Calls with A10o
Player 1 calls

Pot ($85)
Flop AAQ

Hero checks
Player 1 checks
Villain raises to $40
Player 2 folds
Hero raises to $140
Player 1 folds
Villian calls

Pot ($365)
Turn 3

Hero ($790) bets $200
Villian ($250) goes all in
Hero calls
Villian shows QQ


My main question is could I have lost a bit less money if I played it differently from the start?

First potential mistake - given how many limpers were coming into hands and lack of 3 bets during this session, I think I should have 3 bet a hand like A10o, especially since I wasn't 3 betting much. This would have told me right away my opponent had a strong hand. Based off how he was playing, I think his range to call a 3 bet would be limited to something like Ax, KQ, mid-high pocket pairs, possibly J10s+

The other mistake I think I made was not betting the flop. I was purposely going for a check/raise because I felt at least 1 of the 3 players would try and take the pot with a Q or flush draw. If my opponent re-raised me after I lead the flop, I think I could have folded my hand... that being said I'd be betting the turn if villian flat called, so still would have lost more money there.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts

I think I would just fold pre. Second option would be to 3bet but ATo doesn't play very well post flop as it doesn't connect strongly with many boards. Also you are probably over 3 betting if you 3 bet ATo every time.

Post flop I would just c/c. Don't see how the raise helps us in anyway and we don't really have a bluff range when we take this line making it very easy for villain to play against.

Huh, I hadn’t consider just folding preflop. You definitely have a point there. Especially with all the multi-way flops that go on where I play, putting in money with A10o in the SB might be a bit too loose of a range.

I guess if my hand was suited or if there wasn’t a raiser before me I could have played it, but given 3 people already came into the pot, folding pre makes a lot more sense.

Thanks for the tip, I gotta be more disciplined. Can’t be going off the rails with A10o in the small blind like I did there

I've come to the conclusion that I definitely should have folded this hand preflop, and I also played it terrible postflop.

I think the primary issue here was I had been playing about 9 hours that day between online and live. I knew I was mentally exhausted and should probably go home to rest, but I talked myself into staying because the game was good. Where I play the game is good almost every Friday night, that was not a good excuse to stay longer.

Maybe I wouldn't have made that mistake if I was fresh. Regardless, I'm going to spend a good chunk of time going over my universal starting hand chart before heading back to the tables.

fold pre
u really dont wanna VPIP much from SB in this config especially with a high RIO hand that cant make the nuts often.

also u cant really x/r flop w a range and nut disadvantage since he has all the AK AQ AJ AT QQ and u only have like AQ tops...

so its gonna be a x/c down even tho its trip aces

HH seems messed up. You say you're in SB, but button raises then a different player calls in between.

Preflop: ATo is a decidedly mediocre holding OOP against a raise & a call, with very little playability. Even if the raiser is aggressive & the caller is loose, flatting the raise doesn't stand to make very much money OOP. 3-bet squeezing this hand is viable if the raiser is aggressive, since he's likely raising light on the button, especially with a $20 sizing after a limper. In a vacuum though, fold >>>> 3bet >> call

Flop: The check/raise is way too aggressive. You force out villain's bluffs and will possibly get his thinner value bets to fold (KK, Qx). You isolate yourself against the strongest part of his range, and also set up the stacks to likely go in on the turn. If $500 effective, then on the turn there will be $340 left to bet in a pot that's $340. Do you want to stack off against villain's Ax or better hands? With AT I'd say no.

Turn: This is pretty much a continuation of the situation you created on the flop. You're stacking off into a range you've greatly strengthened with your flop aggression.

It makes a lot more sense to check/call flop. Villain may consider his KK/Qx hands to be good enough to value bet again on the turn, or check them back there, giving you an easy river bet. If villain has you beat, you may save money/not get stacked every time. And if V has a weaker Ax you beat, he will probably bet it for you. You also allow for him to sometimes bluff or catch up to a weaker hand that may pay a bet off later.

I dont like A 10 off in the SB either, but is that too much of a hand to fold to a single limper and a button raise?

Post fold is a disaster though, sorry

Mw I think it's a pretty easy fold. Worst relative position and multiple players means even with good equity we have to play near optimally to realize it. Without the intiative seems pretty difficult.

Ez fold pre 3b some % but a pretty low one
Post flop is fine

Maybe button take advantage for player1 limp, but calling from SB its awfull as also raise on the flop.As you said most time players limp,so his raise could tell you sth.As played if you just called on the flop it will be though to get it off the hand.Fold pre

def fold pre. Out of position and A is more often than not dominated multi way. If you have to play this hand I would only in position. 3b out of position if going to play. But once called and you hit that its very hard to get away