Ace Queen - The hand I've been knocked out of more tournaments with than any other!

[AndyH1964]

I've noticed a pattern with my game. I'm getting to the latter stages of tournaments but in 4 out of the last 6 I've been knocked out pushing with AQ in all positions.
Latest example:
I'm dealt AQ under the gun in a live game at Gala Casino
Blinds are 4000/2000 (no ante's)
I've got 39,000 in chips
13 players left, top 10 get paid, ave stack is around 75,000
7 players on my table (mixture of solid players and a couple of loose players)
I decide to push all in, player next to me calls, rest fold.
He turns over KK....No ace and I'm out again!

I did consider min raising, but what do you do to an allin reraise?

AQ is the weakest of the 'Top 10 hands' heads up (versus AA, KK, QQ, AK, JJ, 10s, 9s, 8s, 7s)
It's only dominating Ace weaker kickers....and not many decent players will want to risk a chunk of their stack with Ace Rag.

Would it have been better to limp utg with AQ?
Min raise?
I'm not folding first to act, that's for sure.

[Reksas]

Are you folding if you min raise and someone re-raises? And don't forget that AJ and A 10 are weaker hands that aren't really rag aces. By shoving, you're taking the decision away from you and onto others, possibly forcing folds from 9's and below, and even if a hand like that calls, a flip when you have less than ten BB's is what you're looking for. Basically, you have enough chips to dent a reasonable stack if they call, you'll be forcing them to put down some playable hands. A call with a pair lower than Q's is a flip, and with AJ or any worse A is better than that. Just taking the blinds is also not a bad result. What will you do if you min raise here? Waste a fifth of your stack and fold a premium hand? Let people call with suited connectors and worse hands, and hit the flop? If you keep folding or throwing chips away like that, soon you'll have no chips to push anyone off anything, and then if you do double up, you'll still be in the same situation where you'll either have to fold or shove, and really not be much better off. Shoving is always the right play in this spot, because you have a chance of being called with worse hands, taking a flip which if you win puts you well back in the game, or you could steal the blinds for a fair addition to your stack. You can only really be worried about QQ, KK, AA or AK, and if someone happens to have one of those hands, all anyone can say is unlucky buddy. Sometimes, if you play your hand correctly, you're just gonna lose. Sorry for the long answer!

[AndyH1964]

Thanks for the vote of confidence in my play!
99% of the time I would shove allin AQ UTG with less than 10X BB.
The only exception I can think of is if it was the bubble in the World Series!

[Mommyruthless]

I completely agree with Reksas reply. You just got unlucky with KK showing up. If you would have limped, the KK would have raised you ai anyway, and if you fold, you're just lowering your stack to a point that your stack is no longer a threat to anyone. The only thing you could have done is looked around you and seen if there were even shorter stacks about to go out, and held off to be in the money. There's no guarantee, but sometimes you just want to cash, and then proceed from there. I just layed down AA on the bubble when a straight or 2 pair seemed likely from my opponent who was ai. I was the chip leader, and calling him would have put me at about 5bb, and fighting for my tournament life. Since most of the tourneys I play in are usually chopped, this was about an $800 decision (If i went out on the bubble, we had agreed to pay the bubble's entry back, if I went out next it would only have been $300. As it turned out, we chopped when the next 2 players were out for $1100 ea.)

[SirBetAlot86]

your doing nothing wrong going all-in for 8-12bigs with AQ, it's just unlucky for u that he has kings, if you limped then it would have definitly been a bad play!

[PAM]

Andy you definitely want to be moving all in before the flop here. Only exception would be a satellite where say 7 receive seats and there are 8 or 9 left, of which a few have very short stacks. Unlucky to run into KK but remember to avoid being results oriented.