AK

[123bird]

I hate AK .I lose every time I get .
What I would like to know, how do other people play AK.?

I just played a tourney on full tilt I got AK
blinds 50-100.
I raised to the pot 450
next player raises to 1500
all fold to me
I re raise all in 4250
he calls (has 250 left after calling )
his cards JQ
flop J 2 5
turn J
riverQ
This seems to happen to me all the time with AK.
My best withAK is either a spit pot or everyone folds preflop & I win by default

I need advice on how to get away from or play AK

[fezet]

i never go all in pre-flop with AK.

[bdallstar11]

first off if you lose everytime you have ak then you have problems....i usually raise 3-4 times bb then play the flop accordingly based on your opponet

[123bird]

Originally Posted by bdallstar11 first off if you lose everytime you have ak then you have problems....i usually raise 3-4 times bb then play the flop accordingly based on your opponet

I took your advice tonight in a $500 live game, 60 players
Final table,blinds 1000-2000
I was BB, 3 called I raised to 6000
2 callers
Flop A 2 J
I go all in my last 6000
1 caller
He has K9
Turn 10
River K
Finally my way & all the way for a win

[freiaaron]

looks like he was just gamling there , ur about a 6 to 4 fav so take the action and go on to the next hand, i like to play AK agressive but i will back off if im getting called and i dont flop anytihng

[Vito_Nuccio]

AK is a good starting hand, but it is a drawing hand. Rarely does AK stand up as a high card winner. You have to hit something or bet players out of the hand.

As to the hand example, you raised 450 and were re-raised 1500, then went all-in. Did you consider folding to the re-raise, or was it an auto all-in due to the hand being AK? You had more than 4000 left, you were not pot committed. A re-raise could mean your AK is beaten.

As for what really happened, you did get the money in with the best of it and lost. In the long run, those types of decisions will pay off.

Keep playing a winning style, do not let lucky Donks and Fish change your winning ways.

[Fictive]

People tend to overplay AK way too often. It's for a reason they say that AK is Anna Kournikova: it looks really good, but never wins. Granted, it is a monster starting hand, but what people often neglect to realize that it is a drawing hand, you need help in order to win.

[abc]

I posted this thread on another forum. I think its quite informative that is why I'm posting it here as well.

I would like to find out how you guys play BigSlick© (suited or otherwise) when the pot is:

a.unraised

b. raised

I'm also interested on knowing when you feel it is ok to go allin preflop with it.

I want people to discuss this hand because when I started playing, this hand was amongst the hardest ones to play without either getting stressed or losing a chunk of your bankroll.

This is my take on the matter:

Part 1 - Unraised Pot:

If I'm opening the pot (from any position - as I definitely will play BigSlick© even from the parking lot on an unraised pot), I usually make the standard 4x BB raise. If there are limpers, I would usually raise 4x BB + 1-1.5 BB per limper. I read somewhere that the raise should be a bit bigger if raising from an early position for the purpose of negating the positional disadvantage that one would have during the rest of the hand.

When do I limp in with BigSlick©?

Very seldom. But occationally, in cash games, I would limp in if I am first in on the pot and there is a loose+aggressive player to my left (there are alot of them on Full Titl Poker who usually min raises every pot with trash, calls big re-raises pre-flop and either folds or makes a pot sized bet/goes allin based on the texture of the flop - someone from another forum told me this is called "Big Stack Strategy" (BSS for short) used to fight the popular Short Stack Strategy (SSS). I've seen it work, but you need to have a fat bankroll + mental toughness to withstand the swings that comes with it in order to run it - its quite good for rake chasing btw:-P)

*Another thing about these loose+aggressive BSS players, they would usually just call a raise, which is why it's good to limp in + re-raise pots against them. It really is quite easy to spot them, they like sitting on tables with atleast 4-5 smalls stacks (20xBB buy-ins) and min-raises alot (dont be surprised if the show you T2o on the river:-P)

I would also consider limping in with AKx if I'm playing in a tournament, low on chips and UTG. Why you ask, well, if I go allin UTG, most of the time, I just win the blinds. If I just call, there is the possibility of the pot being raised behind me and I have the opportunity to get all my chips in the middle pre-flop.

Here are some examples of what I am talking about:

Example 1

NLHE 100 ($0.50/$1)

UTG --> $86
UTG+1 --> $100
MP --> $100
CO --> $100
Button --> $188
BB --> $98

MP is the loose+aggressive player. He calls raises without hesitation. he also loves to raise the pot whenever there are limpers in the action.

Pre-Flop:

UTG limps in, I'm UTG+1 with AsKd. I do my standard 4x BB + 1x BB per limper raise (I raised the pot to $5). MP calls, the other middle position players fold (along with the SB), CO calls, Button calls, BB calls and UTG calls !!! Wow, a big multi-way pot. This cant be good.

This situation occurs alot in low limit tables and in the early phases of tournaments. The players behind MP, the loose+aggressive player, recieved good pot odds to make the call. This is alarming (and very bad) for me because I have to play the pot out of position against multiple opponents. I lost the pot even though I hit a K on the flop, MP didnt win it but he did cost me the pot. CO ended up winning with a flush off an open ended straight -flush draw (which he hit on the turn) against UTGs 2 pairs on the turn, my Kings(which I folded on the turn), Buttons tens + busted flush draw and whatever trash MP and the BB had. This is exactly how it went down:

The FLOP:

8hKhTc

BB checks, UTG bets $1, I re-raise to $20, MP calls(!), CO calls, Button calls, BB folds and UTG calls (after requesting for time).
I feel quite uneasy with my Top Pair-Top Kicker at this point. I was almost 100% sure I was beat as I regularly play with CO and Button. I had on of them on either trips and/or strong draws (up & down + flush). They knew me for my tight play and I was getting called down...

The TURN:

9h

-sigh- 3 hearts on the table. Lots of straigh possibilities. I knew I was definitely done with the hand. UTG checked, I followed suite, MP raises $20 (I didnt know what that bet was about that very moment, no kidding. "Is he way ahead, value betting or just trying to see a card cheap?" I asked myself. CO calls, Button calls, UTG re-raises allin ($61), I fold disgusted, MP folds(!!!) - the donkey!, CO re-raises allin aswell and Button calls after quite a deliberation (he expained a bit later that the great pot odds "forced" him to make the call, he did admit that the call was bad)

The RIVER

5c

CO shows JhQh to win a $361.50 pot thanks to this idiot MP. UTG showed Ks9s and claimed for next hour or so that his check-raise move on the turn was the right play. The button embarassedly mucked his AhTd (which I found out via the last hand replay feature of Full Tilt Poker - props for the great FTP GUI)

I was then pretty upset with MP, which is why I went on and added him to my list of friends and sat down wherever he was playing. I found out that his style of play is actually good for the game. You just have to know how to play him. It's been quite profitable so far and, I'm honestly not upset with him anymore:-)

With that said, here is my second example on playing BigSlick© in early position against players running the BSS.

Example 2

NLHE 100 ($0.50/$1)

UTG --> $100
UTG+1 --> $100
CO --> $100
Button --> $100
SB -->$100
BB --> $100

Pre-Flop:

A couple of days later, I find again myself with BigSlick© (AcKc - suited this time around) and out of position (UTG+1). My loose+aggressive friend is the CO and I was expecting him to raise this hand like he did almost every previous hand. UTG limps in, I call obviously, the middle players fold, my friend CO, true to form, raises it to $5, the Button calls as he's probably on to COs antics as much as I am, Blinds call as well, UTG also calls. Here is where I get redemtion:-) I re-raise to $35! That with the math of re-raising. My math is to re-raise 3-4x the original raise + 1-1.5 x the original raise PER CALLER. This is to disuade them from further playing for the pot due to bad odds. This move is also popularly known as "Fish and Chips" - the fish being my friend in the CO position and the chips, well, the chips you rake addto your stack;-).

In my oppinion, re-raising this way instead of directly going all-in makes your hand look stronger. The limp/allin combo smells like AKx or maybe some other classic limp hand (small and medium pairs, A+rag and maybe suited connectors) and would likely be called down. I'd rather win the pot pre-flop with AKx as it is still a draw hand and you are still behind every small pocket until you catch something. I think it is also foolish to risk your whole stack for just 4 bets. Another factor to consider is the concensus that, AA and KK would not immediately go allin as it wants to avoid scaring away "customers" and get paid.

By re-raising this way, I get the maximum fold equity thru the representation of AA or KK. Small and medium pockets will seldom call or push because the dont have the correct implied odds. Just dont over do it, because soon enough people will see your true colors. The maniac behind the tight play:-)

Oh yeah, every folded as expected and I took down the pot.

I'll post part 2 maybe tomorrow:-)

Regards!

Mark-Antoine on Full Tilt Poker

[Vito_Nuccio]

Thanks for the post.

AK is one special hold-em hand. Suited, it is ranked in the top 5 starting hands by most, but needs help to survive a showdown, while the other top tier starters can stand on their own.

It plays differently in cash games opposed to tourneys. You can play AK a variety of ways in a cash game, but will get you into trouble in a tournament, especially if you play them slow at a full table. Cash games offer more limp/raise, limp/flop/raise opportunities. In either game, caution must be taken when playing big slick. Know your opponents and position within whatever game you are in.

Many seasoned players will tell you they have seen more players go broke with AK than any other hand. This is due to the fact AK is the ultimate starting drawing hand. Many players have a tough time getting rid of the hand even when not improving during play and facing pressure. You are in a coin flip situation with any pair less than QQ and have the ability to flop top pair, top kicker when and A or a K comes. But even when in the 50-50 scenerio, you are on the light end of the percentage advantage even against 22.

Be happy when you see AK, but be fully aware of the situation. That way you will play the hand properly, win when you can and fold when appropriate.

Later,