AKs, SB, limpers, short/deep stacks

100NL, new site, all unknowns

UTG $27.52
MP $139
CO $52.84
BTN $69.61
SB (HERO) $146.50
BB $174.94

UTG calls, MP calls, CO calls, BTN raises to $5. you have AKs.

what's your play and why?

Raise for value.

Raise it like you mean it.

I raise to $25 and call a push from anyone at the table, because there's no way we're beat by any of the limpers. $25 is enough to build a large enough pot to shove any flop against all but MP, which is what I probably do postflop.

bleh, i play bad.

I raise to $20. I think you have to, you don't want to play vs. 5 or 6 players in the worst position. And I just take it from there.

you're thinking about *not* raising? why?

$20 flat.

Raise for value, prolly $23, be ready to muck if BB wakes up but if he doesn't, I happily call some pushes.

Raise and call a push from anyone but BB.

Originally Posted by Bode-ist

you're thinking about *not* raising? why?

a) if BB or MP get aggressive, i'll have to fold
b) while this is the intention, i really don't like shoving any flop, where any flop means ace high 2/3 of the time.

BTN had jacks, and i would have sucked out on the river and busted 2 guys.

Am I the only one who tends to 3-bet a bit over pot-sized when out of position? The pot is $5+1+1+1+1.5 = $9.5. Add our $4.5 call and it's $14. Just a pot-sized raise is to $28. With all the limpers, we're offering huge odds to our opponents by only raising to $20.

It has to be at least $24 so you can shove against shorty on any flop.

Raising larger than normal when OOP is pretty standard.

Originally Posted by |~|ypermegachi

Originally Posted by Bode-ist

you're thinking about *not* raising? why?

a) if BB or MP get aggressive, i'll have to fold

This is only partially true. You fold if BB gets aggro (depending on reads). Not MP.

Originally Posted by |~|ypermegachi

b) while this is the intention, i really don't like shoving any flop, where any flop means ace high 2/3 of the time.

On the flop you have ace high 2/3 of the time, but by the river, you will have ace high only 1/2 the time. Neglecting that, however, there are a number of flops that your opponents are going to be forced to fold with a lot of hands that you'd be otherwise worried about. If you shove the QJx flop, TT is folding pretty much every time. Even completely dry flops will get folds from 22-99 a lot of the time (and sometimes higher), as they have to put you on a big hand, and they will certainly be worried that you have KK+.