I've had this situation arise a few times and didn't remember seeing it discussed.
PokerStars Game #17166303685: Tournament #86997830, $7.00+$0.50 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2008/05/03 - 05:16:58 (ET)
Table '86997830 1' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: DDTroll (1780 in chips)
Seat 2: PotofNutz (1535 in chips)
Seat 3: I_GUTSHOT_U (1595 in chips)
Seat 4: dinocourt (1415 in chips)
Seat 5: Karsten85 (1910 in chips)
Seat 6: pira1887 (1470 in chips)
Seat 7: nickellin (1405 in chips)
Seat 8: RealNikNak (1600 in chips)
Seat 9: NickDenmark (790 in chips)
RealNikNak: posts small blind 15
NickDenmark: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to dinocourt [Ad Ah]
DDTroll: calls 30
PotofNutz: calls 30
I_GUTSHOT_U: calls 30
dinocourt: raises 270 to 300
Karsten85: folds
pira1887: folds
nickellin: folds
RealNikNak: folds
NickDenmark: folds
DDTroll: folds
PotofNutz: folds
I_GUTSHOT_U: folds
Uncalled bet (270) returned to dinocourt
dinocourt collected 165 from pot
dinocourt: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 165 | Rake 0
Seat 1: DDTroll folded before Flop
Seat 2: PotofNutz folded before Flop
Seat 3: I_GUTSHOT_U folded before Flop
Seat 4: dinocourt collected (165)
Seat 5: Karsten85 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: pira1887 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: nickellin (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: RealNikNak (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: NickDenmark (big blind) folded before Flop
Obviously, I didn't want to discourage all the action. What's my ideal raise here, to encourage weaker hands to fold without killing the action entirely?(knowing that ideally I do want weaker hands to call, just not five of them)
I suppose I should have just folded.
Edit: Sub-question, why am I such a wimp when it comes to post flop play?
Fair play, I suppose I do know what the problem is.
I guess I was just wondering if there was an optimal bet here. Whether it's 5 or 6 times the blinds like you suggest, or something different.
My raise to 300 put like 445 in the pot, and cost the limpers 270 to call. A raise to 120 would have put 265 in the pot and only 90 to call(2.5 to 1 and increasing if any other player calls)
I guess it's a pretty basic question, it's late and I can't sleep.
Well, mostly due to the sub question in my post, I get antsy with post flop play.
I'm interested to know how others with more experience judge these situations, do they raise less and confidently take more risks with their premium holding, or are they somewhere in between, and can you balance inviting some action without creating pot odds too juicy for an opponent to pass up.
This is important to me also as I rarely play no limit(which I know will only invite your scorn)
I go 180 and if checked to me on the flop I bet 500-700 to try and get it all in there vs 1 or 2 players. I'm not folding AA in a step 1 here on the flop. if someone hits a set then so be it.
__________________
That level 5 trap really paid off...ship him the cookies.
I know that this is std. and I've never played this tournament...but unless your table is completely donktastic 180 feels like too much.
This could be a style difference: but I'm raising a lot..making a jacks or better tailored bet like 3bb+1bb/limper seems card dependant and will not elicit anything but a set mining call and flop check/fold when missed...
Is it possible that you are looking at how you play your aces when you might be better evaluating how you play your game over all?
I feel like a different approach might yield chips from a middle pair, or some weird calls/shoves pre and post with hands like aqo, ajs when they hit top pair, these hands seem to fit at least the UTG limp-a-thon.
(this is, of course, dependant on having opponents who are not making massive mistakes...if they are POOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!)
I know that this is std. and I've never played this tournament...but unless your table is completely donktastic 180 feels like too much.
This could be a style difference: but I'm raising a lot..making a jacks or better tailored bet like 3bb+1bb/limper seems card dependant and will not elicit anything but a set mining call and flop check/fold when missed...
Is it possible that you are looking at how you play your aces when you might be better evaluating how you play your game over all?
I feel like a different approach might yield chips from a middle pair, or some weird calls/shoves pre and post with hands like aqo, ajs when they hit top pair, these hands seem to fit at least the UTG limp-a-thon.
(this is, of course, dependant on having opponents who are not making massive mistakes...if they are POOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!)
I think 150-180 is good -- if you go too small and the first limper calls everyone will likely come along -- not terrible, but not great; I would rather try and pick out the biggest idiot with a bigger raise and isolate him, hoping he hits his J with QJ and going for stacks vs his 5 outer. Players are horrible in the step 1s, so try and exploit it.
__________________
That level 5 trap really paid off...ship him the cookies.
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playing AA after several limpers. 
