unique ak situation in mtt... would like opinions

[Footballguru 0]

This hand came up in a PS 5+.05 R/A. it was the first rebuy tourney i have ever been this far, usually i dont play rebuys, and if i do i suck...but I cant seem to decide what to do with AK in this position-even if I KNEW what my opponents had. At the time I have a very solid stack, probably in top 10% of people left in the tourney. My goal in the tourney is to make final table, but I dont want to do anything stupid to risk my nice chip stack. Here is the action to me:I am DaTruPokerPokerStars Game #2461689873: Tournament #11805479, Hold'em No Limit - Level XII (1000/2000) - 2005/08/30 - 21:31:09 (ET)Table '11805479 82' Seat #8 is the buttonSeat 1: PurpleToupee (22026 in chips) Seat 2: DSCI4 (10245 in chips) Seat 3: El Capitano (17787 in chips) Seat 4: stealurmoney (59645 in chips) Seat 5: skyhawk42 (39858 in chips) Seat 6: monityme (44223 in chips) Seat 7: pocketpool83 (32721 in chips) Seat 8: DaTruPoker (70245 in chips) Seat 9: jadam24 (43505 in chips) PurpleToupee: posts the ante 100DSCI4: posts the ante 100El Capitano: posts the ante 100stealurmoney: posts the ante 100skyhawk42: posts the ante 100monityme: posts the ante 100pocketpool83: posts the ante 100DaTruPoker: posts the ante 100jadam24: posts the ante 100jadam24: posts small blind 1000PurpleToupee: posts big blind 2000*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to DaTruPoker [Kd Ah]DSCI4: raises 8145 to 10145 and is all-inEl Capitano: folds stealurmoney: raises 8145 to 18290skyhawk42: folds monityme: folds pocketpool83: folds Current Pot: 32345------------------------------Ok here is my thought process before I did anything. UTG could have a wide range of hands as he was getting desperate. most likely A10-q, or PP.When monkey re raised I immediately put him on 99-qq, possibly KK. At the time of this tourney, I had just re read Harrington's 2nd book, the section on isolation play. harrington always suggested using those with mid Pockets mostly, that is the reason for my read. I contemplated all 3 options-1) Fold-Safe play, I am probably racing here anyway. But i DO want to make final table, and this is a spot where i can win a very large pot.2)Call and move if flop pair- 18290 to pot of 32345-little less than 2-1. probably a bad play, but if I hit a pair I can possibly win all Money's chips. If i fold on flop I am still above avg stack with 50k.3)Raise all in-If Money has smaller stack it is easy decsision. The real question here is that if Money has PP QQ or lower will he fold? My raise clearly indicates QQ-AA, AK. He is now looking at pot of 92080, and he only has 41345, so if he calls and wins he would have 130k~. If I put him all in and lose both pots, I am now down to 19k and shortstacked myself, but if I win I am probably chip leader in tourney with ~150k. if he folds(best case scenraio) and I win I will have around 100k.I dont see an exact right/wrong play here. In hindsight the play that I did make was probably wrong. i would like some opinions on this play, as AK is a hand at this point tourneys that can make someone lose or win a MTT.Thanks

[gobears 0]

It's either push or fold - calling stinks.If you push, your opponent is getting a little better than 2-1 on the call. Even if he puts you on 1010+, AK+, then he would need at least jacks to make a call (and jacks would be a loose call for all his chips.) His min-raise is interesting as it was just enough where he could still let go of his hand to a push. Of course, the unfortunate thing in these tourneys is that many times, opponents will call with any PP which would put you at a coin flip.I push in this situation if you're playing for first.

[Rocketwadster 0]

Push all-in IMO if you are shooting for first. If you lose, you still have chips. If you win, you are well on your way. Can't see you getting a better spot to get all your chips inthe middle pre-flop (unless you get pocket aces or kings obviously). 8)

[KungFuElvis 0]

If your balls are big you push... if they are not, you fold and wait for nuts.I personally fold this hand, I probably raise all in with AK suited though.. Go figure.. AK off gets the crap kicked out of it all the time.. That 's just me..

[Inferno 0]

If your table was short handed with about six or less people, I think pushing is a good option. In a full ring in late position following an all-in and a re-raise.....this feels like a pretty easy fold to me. The all-in is most likely putting his chips in with any ace, or any pair so you may be in a coin flip with him but it may be worth the risk to knock him out. The re-raiser you really need to watch out for, unless you have seen him pull isolation plays with marginal hands like AQ,AJ, or small pocket pairs, then I would assume a stong hand and not commit a large portion of my stack to this drawing hand. If I felt that I really needed to play this hand for some reason, I think I would call and react to the flop. If an ace or king comes with two rags them I'm pushing. If theres two or more paint on the board then I'm checking it down or mucking. I may be way off but this is the way I play AK, very cautiously. You can get into a lot of trouble with it, and I dont see why you should take the risk when you have nothing invested into the pot yet. Pushing against someone that can almost cripple you with AK is not "playing for the win" in my opinion....its gambling your stack. So like I said, I think its an easy fold....Then Again I may just play too tight

[Footballguru 0]

Thanks for the replies guys.In hindsight after doing the math it may be possible the re raiser folded if i moved all in. If I had all the time i needed to do the math i would have pushed. I played soo weak and flat called then folded when the flop came 9 5 2.UTG had AQ(stronger than i thought he needed to push in this spot) and the re raiser had 1010...dunno whether or not he would have folded. if he did call all in he would have won with 10s full of 2s on the river...but that is not the point. Guess I shoulda pushed and hoped for the best. Damn.

[copernicus 0]

Thanks for the replies guys.In hindsight after doing the math it may be possible the re raiser folded if i moved all in. If I had all the time i needed to do the math i would have pushed. I played soo weak and flat called then folded when the flop came 9 5 2.UTG had AQ(stronger than i thought he needed to push in this spot) and the re raiser had 1010...dunno whether or not he would have folded. if he did call all in he would have won with 10s full of 2s on the river...but that is not the point. Guess I shoulda pushed and hoped for the best. Damn.

My reasoning was the same as yours, though I would put the initial raiser on any hand at all. With first in vigorish, as Harrington would call it, he really doesnt need anything. Then I put the reraiser on PPs > 6, and Ax down to Ts. In the majority of those hands youre on a coin flip or worse, and you only dominate AQ, AJ and AT. This isnt a situation where I would push and cripple my stack on a coin flip or worse. Calling and seeing the flop is most often going to leave you where you were and unable to call. (Dont let Harrington crowd out your Sklansky..AK has its greatest value when you can take it all in and see it to the river). I think its a fold preflop.

[Footballguru 0]

Thanks for the replies guys.In hindsight after doing the math it may be possible the re raiser folded if i moved all in. If I had all the time i needed to do the math i would have pushed. I played soo weak and flat called then folded when the flop came 9 5 2.UTG had AQ(stronger than i thought he needed to push in this spot) and the re raiser had 1010...dunno whether or not he would have folded. if he did call all in he would have won with 10s full of 2s on the river...but that is not the point. Guess I shoulda pushed and hoped for the best. Damn.

My reasoning was the same as yours, though I would put the initial raiser on any hand at all. With first in vigorish, as Harrington would call it, he really doesnt need anything. Then I put the reraiser on PPs > 6, and Ax down to Ts. In the majority of those hands youre on a coin flip or worse, and you only dominate AQ, AJ and AT. This isnt a situation where I would push and cripple my stack on a coin flip or worse. Calling and seeing the flop is most often going to leave you where you were and unable to call. (Dont let Harrington crowd out your Sklansky..AK has its greatest value when you can take it all in and see it to the river). I think its a fold preflop.

Thanks.The reason as I now look back why I called was that I thought I was golden if the flop contained an A or K. But my main goal here was NOT raising, but i shouldnt have invested 1/4 my stack to try and hit a 3-1 shot on the flop. DOH. At least I will learn from my mistake!

[copernicus 0]

Flopping a pair is a 2/1 shot not 3/1

[ACJ349 0]

el capitano is marcel luske!

[Tehol 0]

el capitano is marcel luske!

Nope, Noah Boeken.

[InertGrudge 0]

el capitano is marcel luske!

Nope, Noah Boeken.

Nope, Marcel Luske. Noah played under that name in the 500k a few weeks back and won it, but it is Luske's name. Noah Boeken's screen name is Exclusive.

[Tehol 0]

el capitano is marcel luske!

Nope, Noah Boeken.

Nope, Marcel Luske. Noah played under that name in the 500k a few weeks back and won it, but it is Luske's name. Noah Boeken's screen name is Exclusive.

Ok, but Boeken has been playing under the name for the last two weeks aswell with a picture of himself as his picture...

[tskillz187 0]

Fold.AK plays very well mid-late in tourneys for ll of your chips, but it is very important to get it heads up and also, I think, very important that you are in a must move position of the tourney. You are in a fine spot in this tourney no need to make a move now to get to the final table. You didnt post (or i didnt see, how many pple were left and how fr away from the money you are,) you did say top 10% though which leads me to believe there is at least 100 or so pple left. There is just no reason to risk your huge stack on at best a coinflip right now. Your stack is big enough to take blinds and wait for huge advantages such as KK and AA all in. If you were only mid stacked at this point in the tourney then i push for ak and try to get myself back in great position or out, but you have already done enough to put yourself in great position, you cant make the final table with 30+ pple left in a tourney. Play your game win lots of little pots and wait for a better spot to put your money in. Also, never call big raises with AK to try and hit on flop and fold if you miss, its the weakest play ever. You play AK for five cards or for 0. If you do hit the A or K and go all in its easy for 1010-jj-qq to fold, you have no implied odds, nd you are only getting 60% of the cards to look at.

[wildspoke 2]

I think I would fold or move all-in. AK is not a made hand. You don't have to make a stand here. Chances are you'll have better chances down the road. Unless you have read on your competition fold.Also, I think you answered your own question when you said chances are you're racing. By folding you're just waiting to dance with lady luck a littler later in the evening when the odds are more in your favor. You've still got time. Fold.The other option, in my opinion, is to move all-in. I don't mind this play because you're forcing someone else to make a decision with your aggression. You're 2:1 that you'll hit your hand and if that's the case you're well on your way. Plus if the raiser folds you've isolated the small stack. If you call on the flop and nothing but rags hit, you're in trouble because if some has a high PP they'll go all in. If you were to call with your AK and neither hits you'll have six outs with two cards remaining. I think that makes you a 4 to 1 dog against a pair. (I think please correct me if I'm wrong). Also just curious. why would Marcel Luske be playing in a 5+.05 rebuy tournament? Am I missing something?