1-2-3

Down to my last $70. Image is tight passive.

Live straddle.

UTG raises 15 ( I don't think he realizes there is a straddle) Haven't been very active however has been caught in a bluff.

UTG +1 calls (has a wide range and will call raises with 8 2 etc)

Hero MP

Fold. Call. All in. And why?

Thanks for the advice!

Pot is already more then half your stack so shove or fold. You need to get whatever fold equity you can preflop if you want to play.

Given your descriptions shove is the right move, but if UTG was really tight or intentionally made the small raise then folding AQ is probably better.

Easy jam with with three blinds in play, as well as a small raise and an over call. Utilize your fold equity and pick up the pot or get called and play the pot HU or three ways with a hand that does best against a small field. Your stack is too small to worry about protecting and this is the spot you've been hoping for.
If you flat call, you have to hit the flop to win. And with your hand and stack, folding probably isn't the best option.
I doubt V is folding AK to your raise, but you have very good equity against everything but AK, AA, KK, QQ, and you have blockers against AK, AA, QQ, making those combos slightly less likely.

I'd shove here most of the time, but also wouldn't be surprised if you got 2 callers. I've see some pretty ridiculous call offs with A-x but as most people know, the average llsnl game has lots of calls not a lot of raises

shoving every time unless UTG is the nittiest nit OMC that's ever read the betting sheets at the table (which he isnt)

Not sure why everyone is so eager to take advantage of fold equity. Our hand is pretty good, so I'd rather get called.

If we're so crazy about fold equity, there should be more of it after the flop. We might actually hit the flop too, let's not forget that.

Jamming here is a standard ABC play. But if guys are calling this raise with junk that you can easily dominate, I might consider flatting, luring in some more folks, and then sticking it in on 99% of flops.

AQ and $70 is enough for you to just try and play as big a pot as possible. I'd rather stack off with two or three guys rather than see five guys fold away $15.

because we can add ~$35, +50% to our stack with our two high cards? because we can't screw up the 2/3 of the time we don't hit a pair on the flop? because this hand doesn't play amazingly four ways? if we had a high PP or maybe even AK, i might agree, but AQo is another matter

Honestly, if that's how we're thinking then we should just pick up the $70 and go get a steak.

Against even a tight calling range (top 15-20% of hands) for all players, our hand is about break even, or just slightly better. In other words, we're a little better than 25% in a 4-way pot, around 35% in a 3-way pot, etc.

Personally, I don't like the variance train, but I can stomach a $70 swing if it means i can triple or quadruple up. I'd eat a bowl of rocks before I start splitting hairs about +EV while simultaneously refusing to top up my stack.

Why on earth would you EVER flat 20% of your stack? IMO that is horribad. And that is coming from a fairly tight player myself. The ONLY reason to flat is to try and pull off a stop and go. (which is not a good move here either)

Are you pushing ANY flop? If you're not, might as well pack it up now.

Both results are pretty close EV wise which is why shoving is good

When they fold we get $35

Let's say someone calls with a random hand and we have 65% equity in a $155 pot, that's $100 of which we put in $70 which is +$30 EV

When there's that much dead money relative to your stack getting folds isn't a bad thing even when you have a good hand. The problem with the hand is being short stacked in the first place.

shove and reload, playing <50bb at 1-2 is just brutal

Thanks for the input!

My thinking was there was already $40 in the pot so I wouldn't mind taking it down there and shoved.

My main concern was if folding was the better play. Would we make the same play if UTG was a nit?

UTG tank calls, UTG +1 folds. He shows KK and I don't improve.

Would my play be different if I had $100 behind?

Yeah if you had the extra 100 would be 3 betting then jamming on almost any flops.
More than likey your 3 bet will get throught though

Tank called? Was he hollywooding, hoping utg+1 calls along? KK is probably never folding here. If you start the hand with $100 instead of $70, same play. Jam. If you start the hand with $170 or $200, you can flat, play a flop, or fold. I don't love calling AQ in raised pots. As other posters have pointed out, you only hit the flop about 1/3 of the time, and with AQ especially, when you flop an A, you get a lot of action from AK and when you flop a Q, it's amazing how often you are facing Kk. I like the fold equity AQ provides, don't love playing it for a raise. I'm not saying it's an auto fold preflop in a raised pot when we have position, just that it's hard to really know where you're at and win a big pot with it unless you flop Broadway or two pair or something like that.

If UTG is a nit, then folding can be best. A typical nit has an EP range like AQ/JJ+ in this situation and you don't beat any of that. Plus, you won't make any good money post flop. If you hit the best hand on the flop you might get a flop c-bet out of him but that is it. After that he doesn't put any more money in. This is one thing a lot of players struggle with, but the reality is that when stacks are short and villain is a real OMC/rock/nit then AA/KK is often the only profitable hands.

The question of what effective stack shoving isn't the right play is harder. It depends on a lot of things, and not just the people already in the hand. Stack sizes and play styles for other people at the table who might act after you make a difference. With the money already in the pot I'm shoving or folding up to something around $100. Above $100 hero has the option of flatting and 3 betting. Flatting is going to be good only if table is pretty tight and passive so hero isn't too worried about a raise or getting lots of callers behind.