This hand has value.  I agree with a flat and see what flops.  If you hit the flop strong you might get a stack. if no A or K you might check raise bluff him as well. You invest  a bit more this way but give yourself a lot more ways to win the pot.

If you dont feel it you could fold and wait for that 3 bet light spot, since you dont need a hand to do that anyway better to wait for a MP+ raiser 

 3bet to 4050 ish and fold to jam,, imo. I think you take it down more than 50% of time.

Hate flatting here, not becuase it's weak per se, but because your folding so often post because 1-2 more will, most likely, come in behind you now. 

You didn't menetion rest of table. Are you inviting a squeeze and folding any way?

Hate these spots! Wish I had a concrete answer, I really do.

I also wish we had played a bit more with UTG. I'm seeing total cheese from utg opens alot, obv player dependent.

mmfitter said:

I'm sorry guys, but I really don't like flatting here, esp fr ep. I think folding>flatting. Flats will induce stronger players to squeeze fr lp or the blinds and I believe just calling is rarely correct unless your stack is much deeper. You can't call a big re-raise after you flat. The same could be said about not being able to call a 4 bet if you 3bet. But at least if you 3 bet/fold, you sent a message to the table you're not just 3betting w QQ+.

You are right that being UTG+1 puts you in a tough spot, I didnt pay attention to it, I dont know why but in my mind  when I was thinking of this hand you were on the button  

I do think in such a case I probably would fold, and try to open a pot which would look storng by itself since you havent played many hands, or wait and look for that 3 bet spot when you know  there are less than 9 players to go through  and you know 1 of them likes his hand, 

  I just don't like the spot for the 3 bet utg raiser, but it certainly looks strong and you might take it if they call witth a cbet on many flops.  But The other problem I see is you open it up for the opener to raise again and make you fold.  Also Thinking a bit more about it, lets assume nobody wakes up with AA or KK, I dont think you will make AK fold here, AQ, QQ, JJ, I will probably 3 bet or flat depending on the player, you might get another AJ to fold but other than that you might only make dominated hands and some low pairs and broadways  fold.

I am interested in what you think the ranges of a 10-14 villain are in your opinion for a 4 bet, and calling your 3bet.

Also if it was a 10 USD or tourney I might be still be tempted to flat since in my experience in those levels there is much less 3betting, if you get squeezed, fold it, you loose 2 BBs not 6 of your 28 and move on.

Solid points by all.

This is an excellent post because it's a tough spot. Given stack sizes and awful positioning, folding>flatting because a flat induces a squeeze far too often. We're also up against 3 stacks (utg+2, CO, Button) that are perfectly positioned to 3-bet jam. Also, what happens when we face a light 3-bet to 2400-3200? We're getting pot odds, but is it worth playing a potentially crushed hand oop? IMO, muck and move on.

I lean more towards a fold here. If his range is around 10(-14)% (77+(55+?), AJ+, KQ+, some SC's like 10Js, QJs, 98s) there's more than a 50% chance he'll fold. But with 7 players still left to act behind you it's possible they'll pick up hand and you'll be commited to some reshoves although only AK and JJ/QQ+ will do so. 

Flatting is def out of the question as you'll have to fold to a possible squeeze and even if you hit an A or a J you wont know if ur good. Plus you'll miss the flop more often than not. If (an)other player(s) were to flat aswell you'll be playing a multiway pot oop. Not deep enough to do so.

If u were in lp this wouldve been a much easier 3bet spot, depending on the opponent. 

Anymore info on villain? W only 28bb I believe u have to narrow utg's range to about 5-7.5%, seeing there are a few 10-15bb reshovestacks left to act, which would make his range: AQ+, 99+ or AJs+, AQ+,KQ+ 77+. With this new range I think you would get 4bet more often unless he thinks ur the biggest nit who would only 3bet QQ/KK+. 

So it all depends on how loose/tight villain is, especially utg and how you are perceived. 

Hagbard Celine said:

don't let the fact that you haven't played a hand in a while put you in a bad/marginal spot. without any idea as to UTG's range and how he reacts to 3bets, 3betting here is probably just spew. we have to make certain assumptions about his range/tendencies that we just can't really make with the info we have.

 

i agree with you that given positions, folding>flatting. if villain were MP and we were LP i could see flatting.

Are you saying in this position with the stack sizes we should 3-betting only the monsters (top 3%) and folding every other hand?

Hagbard Celine said:

absolutely not. without reads i'd probably flat anything i continue with.

But you're not continuing AJs? That's a top 5-6% hand. What is your range for continuing?