AQ - A hand that poker players both love and hate

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AQ – A hand that poker players both love and hate

by Timechen

What makes AQ so hard to play? With the help of two sample hands from the NL5 Forum and a fictitious third sample hand this article aims to show you what problems can arise with this poker hand. 

All played hands are full ring games with a 100BB stack. You can also test your knowledge in the quiz:

Quiz: AQ – A hand that poker players both love and hate

AQ raise first in from UTG

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q , A
Hero raises to $0.16, , MP3 calls $0.16

Flop: ($0.38) 9, A, 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.25, MP3 calls $0.25

Turn: ($0.88) T, (2 players)
Hero bets $0.65, MP3 calls $0.65

River: ($2.18) 8, (2 players)
Hero?

As it should be quite easy to see, Hero has raised from UTG. The problems that AQ can cause you already become apparent here. You have a top pair good kicker (TPGK, so the highest pair with a K or Q as an additional card) on the flop, but really just a good kicker.

You've got to include all small pocket pairs from 22 to TT and broadways (JJ-AA and very high picture cards like AK, AQ and KQ) as well as suited connectors (sequential cards of the same suit such as 5, 6) in villain's range. 

You'll usually find yourself in the lead on the flop, which is why a bet is rightly placed here. The bet could also be just 20 cents, as you don't want to inflate the pot and you don't need to protect either.

The turn now comes a card that is neither helpful to you or your opponent. You are still in the lead and will definitely continue to bet. As was the case after the flop the bet could also be smaller here.

Although the river may have helped a bad opponent -keyword calling station- you should not consider yourself beaten here. You have two options: either you check your opponent and then fold when a bet is placed or you place another value bet that is ½ the pot size.

Check-fold is not a good idea as there is no reason for you to allow villain to see a free showdown, if you are still in the lead. 

A value bet is a much better choice as villain will often call with Ax at the lower limits. Had he hit a two pair with A9, A6 or AT he would have shown himself on the turn at the latest. So you go for the value bet.

What can villain do on the river? He has exactly two choices. Either he calls or he raises before you. If he raises, you will have to let go of your hand whether you like it or not, as the probability that villain has a better hand lies quite high.

As you can see from this example, playing AQ on the turn or river out of position is not exactly easy, which is why the SHC recommends you don't raise AQ until MP. The reasons for this are that you have a good chance of not playing out of position and collecting the blinds, as well as that a reraise additionally becomes less probable.

AQ three-betting

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A , Q
2 folds, MP1 raises to $0.16, Hero raises to $0.48, 5 folds, MP1 calls $0.32

Flop: ($1.02) 8, 3, A (2 players)
MP1 bets $1.00, Hero calls $1.00

Turn: ($3.02) 3, (2 players)
MP1 bets $3.52 All-In, Hero?

Take another good look at Hero's game. He reraises a raise from MP1 in position with AQo.  Internalise the purpose of a three-bet, i.e. what you use it for, once again.

A three-bet is an attempt to get value from bad hands preflop. AQ can, without a doubt, be seen as a very solid preflop hand, but only at first glance, however.

If you think about what villain would have to call to make your value raise worthwhile, then it will quickly become clear that it is actually a bad move, unless you are absolutely sure that villain will call AJ or lower. 

Now have a look at the flop. If you are not willing to invest more money with a top pair top kicker (TPTK, the highest pair with A as the additional card), you should not reraise preflop at least. Normally the flop would be followed by a call now, as your own hand is too strong to fold. The example follows this pattern.

The turn comes a blank - the 3. Villain now pushes all-in with his remaining $4. How should you react to this?

Calling would be reasonably acceptable considering the pot odds. Villain has, however, raised preflop from MP1 and called your reraise. You should therefore definitely include AK in his range and can only consider the call as positive if you know that villain would also play AJ, AT or other Ax hands in this way.

If you have no history and the opponent has caught your attention because of his solid play, then you will probably have to fold, as a $4 call would be too expensive for you here. You will have to find this information out through observation and then you might consider a call as worthwhile in a similar situation.

Calling AQ after a raise

Without going into individual scenarios, be warned that calling AQ preflop means you need to have very good postflop skills. Unlike in the case of a raise, you will often find yourself in a situation in which you are uncertain about whether you are holding the best hand or not.

Because of your diminishing initiative, you are also not able to take the pot just by making a simple continuation bet on a K-high flop. The following examples should make these points clearer.

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A , Q
UTG raises to $0.16, 4 folds, Hero calls $0.16, SB calls $0.14, BB folds

Flop: ($0.52) 4, T, 3 (3 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $0.40, Hero?

This flop completely misses you and you will have to fold on every continuation bet. 

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A , Q
UTG raises to $0.16, , 4 folds, Hero calls $0.16, SB calls $0.14, BB folds

Flop: ($0.52) 4, T, Q (3 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets $0.35, SB raise $1.20, UTG folds, Hero?

You've hit your Q. This doesn't look bad at first glance but the SB's raise, however, makes it hard for you to estimate your strength precisely. When determining the SB's range, you definitely have to give him a set. But the chance that he is holding a draw with J9 or a combo draw with TJ is just as big.

On the board you've actually only beat draws that lie in the range with which villain could check-raise up till now. Although check-raise is really only rarely played with draws in NL5, it is not impossible. You would lie far behind against a set and even against the draw your winning chances are not looking particularly good, as your hand hardly has any potential for improvement.

Even if you hit Q on the turn giving you trips, villain can still win with a straight or a flush. As you are, however, still holding top pair top kicker, you can't just fold on the flop now, as your pot odds for a call are simply too good.

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A , Q
UTG raises to $0.16, 4 folds, Hero calls $0.16, SB calls $0.14, BB folds

Flop: ($0.52) 4, 5, A (3 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $0.35, Hero raise $1.20, SB calls $1,20, UTG folds

Turn: ($3.02) 4, 5, A J(3 players)
SB bets $3,52 (All-in), Hero?

You are holding TPGK on the flop, but the board has many possible draws, however. You opponents could be holding and could have hit many suited connectors, small pairs, etc. KQo with K are hands that need to be included when calculating the opponents' range.

You raise the flop, as you have been holding a pretty good hand up till now and need to protect yourself from draws. The possibility does exist, however, that you could almost be drawing dead (this expression refers to a situation in which you cannot catch up with your opponent any more and you will definitely lose), as villain could be holding the flush. But only almost, as a full house would help you in this case.

Be warned again here that you must definitely raise the flop, as although UTG may have also hit a good hand on the board with his continuation bet, you must also include hands like AJ in his range. 

Assuming villain (UTG) is also holding AJ or a middle pair with KK, QQ as well as a flush draw, you should not give him the inexpensive card on the turn, as he has already made his continuation bet at this point and does not not need to pay out any more. Moreover you would lose a lot of money, if your opponent really would be holding an AJ or a draw with KK or QQ and would therefore probably call a raise. 

While forcing UTG out of the game with your raise, you suddenly find yourself confronted with SB too. Villain only check-calls the flop and then bets all-in on the turn. As you would only have a big winning chance against any A, as long as villain does not hold a  , you will have to fold here, as calling would definitely be a mistake.

What you would do if the SB would already bet all-in on the flop is an open-ended question. What hands might villain be holding and could one call these all-in? This board is good for a great number of made hands and you do not have a possibility of drawing a straight or a flush. This is why your hand does not stand a chance against an all-in and you would have to fold here too.