Is ace jack offsuit a good hand?

The Balanced baseline opens it from every seat, but the catch is what comes next. The players who keep fighting against an early open usually have it dominated, since ace king, ace queen, and the big pairs all crush it. In the cutoff and on the button it is comfortably ahead of the hands that defend against you, which is where it makes its money. Against a re-raise it is usually a fold, not a hand to flat out of position.

This hand opens for a raise from every position, including under the gun.

Common mistake: Playing it like a premium because it has an ace. Calling raises and re-raises with ace jack offsuit is how you end up making top pair with the worst kicker against exactly the hands that beat it.

Quick tip: When an ace flops and you get heavy action, your jack kicker is the problem. Late position good, early position trouble.