I'm trying to dig around in other peoples heads to see what they are thinking - if you're willing to contribute to my education - thanks. I'm not looking for the right way to play this per se (my point being there are no wrong answers) - just really looking to find out how others would play this hand. Any insights are appreciated.

The game has just began and everyone in question bought in for the maximum $500. The game is NL holdem and the blinds are $2/$5. You have been dealt AsKd UTG and decide to limp. (Sorry, I know many of you wouldn't but let's assume you did) Two people call and a LP player raises to $30. You decide to call, the rest of the table folds, there is $75 in the pot and you both have $470 left. The flop comes: 4d5c8h

How do you play the hand and why?

Thanks,

TUP

Intriguing hand TUP. This is a tough situation for sure, and one I probably would have spared myself by playing differently preflop. But assuming I did what you say, here goes nothing.

Ok, I have no read on my opponent at all. Which is very bad. I have no idea if he's extremely tight or a loose maniac. So without any read I don't even know how strong hand he signalled with his $30 raise. I also called preflop, giving him the momentum in the hand. I'm also out of position. I don't like this hand at all.

If I raised preflop, I probably would have bet the pot here trying to get him to fold. But seeing as the hand is as it is, I check. I also fold to any strong bets or tells of strength. However, if he bet out weak and I'm pretty sure he's bluffing. AND I feel for making a fancy move (for me anyways) I checkraise him hoping he will fold. If he then calls or raises I reckon the hand as lost. Unless of course the turn hits me very good.

So most times I would usually check/fold here. But if i FELT like it, I would checkraise him if the conditions above were met.

A small look into my beginner head.

One thing I don't like here is being out of postion, so I want to be done playing on the flop., i want him to fold or I will fold. I usually use a check raise here, depending on how he plays his hand. This is much harder with not having played with this player before. There is a decent chance that you have the best hand here. He very easily could have raised with AQ, AJ or KQ from late postion trying to thin the competition. I would probably use a check raise, here for a couple of reasons. In the short term I think I can take down this hand with a check raise here. He also doesnt know how I play. The other less obvious reason, is the long term. Usually when a new game starts everyone is paying close attention to how everyone is playing and trying to get a read on the table.A check raise here is something everyone will remember, especially if I am able to win the pot and not show my cards. The next time I check someone is going to be less likely to try to steal a pot from me.

Without any reads I will generally check-fold here.

I check-fold here as well.

I agree with MG (which will likely make him wrong too, sorrry, Mad). With the pot the size it is, if he bets, he's likely to bet something like $50-60 which means to make a check raise that he can really fold to if he has nothing would have to be about $150-180. Do you really want to commit that much money to this pot with no pair out of position? I wouldn't but with the lack of reads on a person from previous play or actually being able to see him bet and such, check/folding seems to be the correct play.

Check / fold 90% of the time. I may check raise in a rare 10% of cases.

I do limp UTG with AK quite often, but if he raised to $30, I would probably only call about half the time.

Im badly out of position, and there are liable to be another caller or 2 which means even if I flop an ace or king, I may still be in trouble.

check/fold everytime. actually doyle talks about this exact situation in SS2

I swore I was gonna start posting more often, so here goes...Maybe this is a sign of a hole or 2 in my game, but I don't think I can leave this pot alone so easily...the stacks are relatively deep...Unless you have a good read on the raiser, I am inclined to bet3/4 the pot...I have been accused of being too aggressive, and possibly true...Thinking more now...If you put him on 99 thruQQ---you have 6 outs twice.....My brain hurts already, but this is a start for me...
B

I always raise PF with AK. Always always. But then I'm pretty predictable and not a good player yet.

If I didn't raise PF, I am pretty sure I would bet out here. Say half the pot or a little less, say $30, to make it look like I want a call & at the same time slow down the growth of the pot. Someone else playing AK may fold, as may lower pairs. Not likely but you have to give them a chance to play weak-tight. If I'm raised I fold. If I'm called, well, I have to decide whether my A and K are live outs or not.

Excellent question. Like most of the previous posters, I would check-fold. If however I wasn't such a gutless wonder and could throw the initial caution that most sane people exhibit at the very beginning of a session to the wind, I would probably quickly come to the conclusion that there is a 75% probability that he completely missed the flop (ie. like me is pairless ) and precisely because he most likely adheres to the principle of early caution outlined earlier, a 3/4 pot bet by yours truly would be the best play in this situation.

But as I said , I'm a wimp so it's check-fold.

Interesting. I wonder if I would be a wimp if I played in person too. I would be sure I was giving away tells of my weakness right and left.

Online I find it very easy to be aggressive. I much prefer to go down swinging. Probably because my initial education in poker was from the people on this forum.