playing ak in the sb...

[quadaces 0]

Doesn't a pair of 2's beat A high!That would make pocket deuces a better hand than AK. AK is definatly a better drawing hand. But before you see the flop pocket 2's beat AK everytime!

I'm not sure which side you are arguing but I think the point of how good AK is based on how often it is domminated by another good hand. 22 is dominated by everyother pocket pair and is in a coinflip with everyother hand.

Yet before you see the flop 2's beat AK EVERYTIME!AK MUST improve to beat 22..........22 doesn't need to improve to beat AK.hey I'm not saying AK is a bad hand, but too many people like the op.. think its a hand you should ALWAYS push with and its simply not the case. Your going to miss the flop something like 75% of the time with AK.

So, if you hold 22 and the flop comes out anything but a set you are going to play when you are bet into from the pre-flop raiser? I don't think so. Raise pre-flop and continuation bet with AK. I want you in my game if you call with 22 on any board that doesn't make you a set.~sublime

So the only way you can play 22 after the flop is if you flop a set?why not just take the 2's out of the deck if they are worthless!Hey I'd love to clean up your game if you play AK and 22 in that manner!

[dms26 3]

Don't raise AK from the small blind.Check fold when you miss.Bet out when you hit.Problem solved.

weak-tight.

Uh, no.you should play a hand that misses most flops out of position against a field? Where i come from we call that strong-stupid. I also assumed he was talking no limit.essay

I was hoping your first post was a joke, but I guess not. Letting people limp when you have AK is awful.

[SapphireTiger 0]

Don't raise AK from the small blind.Check fold when you miss.Bet out when you hit.Problem solved.

weak-tight.

Uh, no.you should play a hand that misses most flops out of position against a field? Where i come from we call that strong-stupid. I also assumed he was talking no limit.essay

I was hoping your first post was a joke, but I guess not. Letting people limp when you have AK is awful.

i guess you're the one who is strong-stupid jackass.that might be my lamest flame ever but its still early. early for me anyway.

[dereeekho 0]

if you're short stacked: check-fold.if you're deep stacked: lead out with about 1/2 pot.

If you are short-stacked you should push all in pre-flop with AK!

this is post-flop play, and i would've pushed all-in preflop with AK from SB with a short stack

[dms26 3]

Don't raise AK from the small blind.Check fold when you miss.Bet out when you hit.Problem solved.

weak-tight.

Uh, no.you should play a hand that misses most flops out of position against a field? Where i come from we call that strong-stupid. I also assumed he was talking no limit.essay

I was hoping your first post was a joke, but I guess not. Letting people limp when you have AK is awful.

i guess you're the one who is strong-stupid jackass.that might be my lamest flame ever but its still early. early for me anyway.

lol I've never heard of strong-stupid.but maybe he's right, I'm going to start only raising with AA, check folding every time I miss a flop and only betting with TPTK or better. It's a guarantee for success. Other players would never pick up on this.

[AceJackOffS 0]

raise pre flop and then openfarell even if you flop quad aces.

[Dubey 1,035]

Doesn't a pair of 2's beat A high!That would make pocket deuces a better hand than AK. AK is definatly a better drawing hand. But before you see the flop pocket 2's  beat AK everytime!

I'm not sure which side you are arguing but I think the point of how good AK is based on how often it is domminated by another good hand. 22 is dominated by everyother pocket pair and is in a coinflip with everyother hand.

Yet before you see the flop 2's beat AK EVERYTIME!AK MUST improve to beat 22..........22 doesn't need to improve to beat AK.hey I'm not saying AK is a bad hand, but too many people like the op.. think its a hand you should ALWAYS push with and its simply not the case. Your going to miss the flop something like 75% of the time with AK.

I have some advice for you, it will help you out in other areas of your life as well:don't try to give people advice on a topic you clearly know nothing about, you just end up looking like a retard.AK is an exponentially better hand that 22 in every single situation other than all in, preflop. even then it is only 51/49 dog. If you don't understand why, then you should stop playing poker for real money immediately.

[doublemeup 0]

I think this could be one of the hardest plays in poker.AK, being the 3rd best starting hand, is definitely something you would like to raise w/ preflop to knock out the other possible drawing hands and small pairs.But what happens when you Raise w/ AK in the sb, and get more than 1 caller, and completely miss the flop? There are so many ways to play this, and i know it depends on the game... but consider this:You're dealt AK in the sb.... 3 limpers.... How do you proceed to play the hand.(scenario: there are various types of players at the table, say 3 limpers are loose aggressive, tight aggressive, and donk, respectively.)

Ok you are a complete donkey. AK is NOT the third best starting hand!! You think its better than QQ? JJ? 1010? the list goes on....

[Bad_Beat_Butters 0]

AK has different value depending on if you are playing Limit or No Limit.In the small stakes (2/5) Limit games I play in BM's it not a great raising hand. AK is not a made hand so you are really at the mercy of the flop. In no limit you can raise enough to scare small pairs and lessor drawing hands out. But in low Limit games any one with a pair of 4s is going to call you. And forget about trying to bluff your way to the river if you miss, someone is always going to get you.

[doublemeup 0]

AK has different value depending on if you are playing Limit or No Limit.In the small stakes (2/5) Limit games I play in BM's it not a great raising hand. AK is not a made hand so you are really at the mercy of the flop. In no limit you can raise enough to scare small pairs and lessor drawing hands out. But in low Limit games any one with a pair of 4s is going to call you. And forget about trying to bluff your way to the river if you miss, someone is always going to get you.

uh...forget about bluffing at all in limit hold'em. you should rarely bluff.

[allinbluff35 0]

98.485468346% of the advice in this thread sucks.turn pro/make millions

[SapphireTiger 0]

98.485468346% of the advice in this thread sucks.turn pro/make millions

you obviously don't know what you're talking about. you must be strong-stupid.

[allinbluff35 0]

AK MUST improve to beat 22..........22 doesn't need to improve to beat AK.

board 77377, I still have A high 33889, I still have A high

[guinevar 0]

Deleted

[Pokerghost2 0]

i hear backgammon is fun.

[doublemeup 0]

AK MUST improve to beat 22..........22 doesn't need to improve to beat AK.

board 77377, I still have A high 33889, I still have A high

wow what donkey thinks that AK unsuited is ahead of 22?

[srblan 0]

If this is a tourney situation, raise. In a limit game, raise. In a no-limit cash game, raise if you think it will knock people out, if not call sometimes, and raise sometimes. Realize that if you don't raise and pair on the flop, that in a multiway pot you could often be against two pair or better. You are out of position, so your raise will have to be bigger than normal. Bet out the flop as often as you would check if you missed the flop. If you only bet when you hit the flop, I'd call your raise every single time, with the hope that no ace or king showed up and I could take it away. If the board is raggedy, I'd often continuation bet, hoping that people would think I had a big pair and go away. It's important to remember that TPTK is very dangerous in NL, so don't get too married to it.

[srblan 0]

AK MUST improve to beat 22..........22 doesn't need to improve to beat AK.

board 77377, I still have A high 33889, I still have A high

No, you have 4 7s with an ace kicker and 8s and 3s with an ace kicker. Your hand has definitely improved in the first case, and improved quite a bit in the second case.

[quadaces 0]

AK MUST improve to beat 22..........22 doesn't need to improve to beat AK.

board 77377, I still have A high 33889, I still have A high

NO YOU DON'T RETARD!YOU NOW HAVE FOUR 7'S W/ A KICKER ON YOUR TOP EXAMPLE AND 2 PAIR 8s AND 3s A KICKER THAT MEANS YOU IMPROVED YOUR HAND MORON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DaBruins 0]

it depends........i've hit big and lost big with AK in just about every situation. Although the last time i hit big was when i played my AK slowly: there were very loose players on my table (2-5 nl) and i had built up a pretty dominating stack. UTG+2 did a standard raise, 1 caller, then i call, and the big blind called as well. I knew these were the type of players who would re-raise with AA or KK so i knew my AK was gonna be good if it hit. I also knew the original raiser was loose aggresive and had a pretty big stack. If he flopped top pair with even an average kicker, he was losing a huge portion of his stack. Well the flop came out AK3 all hearts, i played a bit fast here although i knew if someone had the Qh or Jh they were pretty much calling me regardless of what i bet (thats just the way the table was). Another K hit the river so i pretty much had a lock on the hand. Well, i won a ton of money on that hand, original raiser had AQs, other guy had A3s, and the other guy had JJ with 1 heart. On the river the AQ still bet, and the A3 actually called his bet with his worthless kicker, i raised, JJ folded and the AQ and even the A3 called me! This is why i still play 2-5 nl rather than the higher games....much easier game to beat. If i had played this hand more aggressively, the A3 wouldve been out of there and the guy with JJ was very conservative preflop so he wouldve been out of there as well.

[lips24 0]

AK online never loses.

[Royal_Tour 0]

AK MUST improve to beat 22..........22 doesn't need to improve to beat AK.

board 77377, I still have A high 33889, I still have A high

NO YOU DON'T RETARD!YOU NOW HAVE FOUR 7'S W/ A KICKER ON YOUR TOP EXAMPLE AND 2 PAIR 8s AND 3s A KICKER THAT MEANS YOU IMPROVED YOUR HAND MORON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Umm, I think what allinbluff was trying to say is that if 2,2 doesnt improve and AK does, 2,2 is now junk. and AK has plenty of outs. If any of these kings or aces hits, then 2,2 is drawing slim. AK also has the obvious top card on 2 paired boards.I would take AK over 2,2 anyday. that 2% should be used for milk and milk only

[goosh 0]

I like Dev's line, raise 3or4BB + 1BB/limper , then lead out on a raggedy flop for 1/2 the pot depending on # and quality of your opponents. I think raising with AK from the SB is the only sensible option, for the most part hands that limp then call your raise are gonna be small-medium pocket pairs and hands you have dominated. Anyway, thats my .02oh, and second post, woo.

[srblan 0]

AK MUST improve to beat 22..........22 doesn't need to improve to beat AK.

board 77377, I still have A high 33889, I still have A high

NO YOU DON'T RETARD!YOU NOW HAVE FOUR 7'S W/ A KICKER ON YOUR TOP EXAMPLE AND 2 PAIR 8s AND 3s A KICKER THAT MEANS YOU IMPROVED YOUR HAND MORON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Umm, I think what allinbluff was trying to say is that if 2,2 doesnt improve and AK does, 2,2 is now junk. and AK has plenty of outs. If any of these kings or aces hits, then 2,2 is drawing slim. AK also has the obvious top card on 2 paired boards.I would take AK over 2,2 anyday. that 2% should be used for milk and milk only

I find little pairs to be much easier to play in loose NL games, since you are looking for a set, or you're looking at an easy fold. How do you like AK on a A K 2 flop if you are up against 22? You've flopped a monster, but you're in terrible shape!

[Dubey 1,035]

AK MUST improve to beat 22..........22 doesn't need to improve to beat AK.

board 77377, I still have A high 33889, I still have A high

NO YOU DON'T RETARD!YOU NOW HAVE FOUR 7'S W/ A KICKER ON YOUR TOP EXAMPLE AND 2 PAIR 8s AND 3s A KICKER THAT MEANS YOU IMPROVED YOUR HAND MORON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Umm, I think what allinbluff was trying to say is that if 2,2 doesnt improve and AK does, 2,2 is now junk. and AK has plenty of outs. If any of these kings or aces hits, then 2,2 is drawing slim. AK also has the obvious top card on 2 paired boards.I would take AK over 2,2 anyday. that 2% should be used for milk and milk only

I find little pairs to be much easier to play in loose NL games, since you are looking for a set, or you're looking at an easy fold. How do you like AK on a A K 2 flop if you are up against 22? You've flopped a monster, but you're in terrible shape!

this is dumb also. terrible flops can happen for any two hands. how do you like JT aginst 66 on a JT6 flop? it doesn't matter, you don't base your hand selection on worst case scenarios.