aks

[TJ_Eckleburg 0]

Actually, I guess you can convince me that it doesn't matter either way with AK suited if we're shortstacked. Still though, if we have at least 100 bb in front of us, we have to reraise all day here.

Does calling improve your implied odds heads up against the raiser as opposed to raising?

If the stacks are deeper, implied odds matter more.

[Binbs 0]

Really the biggest reason for me to to reraise in position with AK is because I want to mix up my play. I dont even always do it compared to how aggressive my PF raiser is.But I want people calling my reraises preflop when I do it with AA-QQ and thats not gona happen that often if I dont mix up my play.Against passive players who are raising with AJ, AQ, KQs, JJ, TT and possibly 99, I want them to think I have a big hand and lay it down on the flop when they dont hit a set or their top pair.You want to play AK in position aggressively because you will profit from it the times that you dont hit the flop.You will lose sometimes when you reraise into AA-QQ and dont hit the flop.Reraising in position with AK is definately profitable imo because you will get paid off more with high pocket pairs when you reraise as well.

[jayistheman 0]

When I stopped overplaying AK I started making more money.read this sentence 50 times. your bankroll will thank you.

[gates1026 0]

When I stopped overplaying AK I started making more money.read this sentence 50 times. your bankroll will thank you.

I like it....I like it a lot.

[macphec 0]

Yeah, good thread. We do need a Copericus math type over hear though.I am very bad at the math part and it adds so much more to the analysis

[TJ_Eckleburg 0]

Yeah, good thread. We do need a Copericus math type over hear though.I am very bad at the math part and it adds so much more to the analysis

We're beating Ax and Kx 70/30.We're behind to 22-QQ 53/47ishWe're pretty badly behind AA and KK, which is fortunately quite rare due to combinations.We're ahead of unpaired undercards like QJ 60/40ish.I'm not that good at math either... but the point is this edge preflop is hard to guess, and rapidly changing on the flop. Re-raising gives us less future action from the hands we're beating, and it invites the hands that have us beat to play harder.Plus, we have position, and by virtue of being FCP'ers we naturally have a superior advantage in postflop skills.So call!!

[NoSup4U 0]

In no limit, I don't like being in the habit of trying to pick up the pot preflop. I try to pick up someone's STACK, especially with good hands like AKs.

I usually don't think of AK as a hand that gets someone's stack. After my first 40K hands in PokerTracker (so basically the first 40K hand of poker I ever played) AK was my second most losing hand, only behind KQ. That probably tells you where I stand on how to play it :)I think for so many of us today, (myself included) we way over play AK preflop. Its value is in hitting a hand and taking money from someone with a weaker A, or as outs if you feel like bluffing a flop. I do agree its a hand to be playing for at least a raise though, because as someone before said, you just cannot allow a K7 to punish you on a K73 flop.Mark

[NoSup4U 0]

Heh, after all this discussion, I just had this hand come up:Guy raises to 2.5X the bb from utg. I have AK on button. I just call.flop A and a flush draw is out there (but I don't have a draw).Guy bets the pot, so immediately I put him on a big A. (And I have this thread running through my head as well of course...) I reraise 2.5X his bet, as I'm not super worried about the flush. I'm sure he has the A...Flush comes on turn, I bet, he raises, and all my money goes to his flush.So in closing, two things: I still suck with AK, and smooth calling the pf raise has some disadvantages if you let yourself decide on your opponents hand to quickly...Mark

[Scott3705 0]

2/5 NL Live Relevant chip stacks.. Hero; 775ish Villain; 800ish (He had me covered by a bit.) Hero is in CO with A K Villain is MP+2 and raises to 25(standard raise), Hero makes it 75, Villain calls. Flop: 9 4 2 Villain checks, Hero bets 150, Villain calls Turn; K Villain checks, Hero bets 250, Villain pushes, Hero..? from DD's last post.Why here do you reraise with AK? Sorry to bring this up again, but this idea's been bothering me now everytime i get AK.

[TJ_Eckleburg 0]

Glaaaaaaaad you brought it up, Scott.Notice: the pot's bigger now, so we *have* to play aggressively to try to win it, right?Continuation bet... okay... one caller...Now we have TPTK? Super!!...And villain moves in on us. Now WTF.Call preflop, maybe continuation bet, maybe not. The turn check/raise shouldn't be an all-in though, because the pot's smaller.Use position! Manipulate the pot size to whatever end you seek to accomplish through your betting, or your not-betting!

[TJ_Eckleburg 0]

TJ_Eckleburg wrote:  In no limit, I don't like being in the habit of trying to pick up the pot preflop. I try to pick up someone's STACK, especially with good hands like AKs.    I usually don't think of AK as a hand that gets someone's stack.

Every hand you play in no limit is a hand you're trying to get someone's stack.You BETTER think that way, because I guarantee your opponents are. ESPECIALLY when you get the kinds of hands that you DO want to play for stacks.Like AA.I've made more money on someone else's overplayed aces than any other hand in NL hold'em, I think.

[NoSup4U 0]

TJ_Eckleburg wrote:  In no limit, I don't like being in the habit of trying to pick up the pot preflop. I try to pick up someone's STACK, especially with good hands like AKs.    I usually don't think of AK as a hand that gets someone's stack.

Every hand you play in no limit is a hand you're trying to get someone's stack.You BETTER think that way, because I guarantee your opponents are. ESPECIALLY when you get the kinds of hands that you DO want to play for stacks.Like AA.I've made more money on someone else's overplayed aces than any other hand in NL hold'em, I think.

I definitely agree with you TJ. My point was just, I think its a lot easier to lose your stack with AK than double it. If I have AK and my whole stack ends up in the pot, and I don't have broadway, more often than not I'm kicking myself.Mark

[DrawingDeadInDM 0]

Why here do you reraise with AK?  Sorry to bring this up again, but this idea's been bothering me now everytime i get AK.

I did it to isolate and stack a complete jackalope. I've answered all that in the thread my man. I would've done the same with AQ and maybe even AJ.

[Scott3705 0]

 I did it to isolate and stack a complete jackalope. I've answered all that in the thread my man. I would've done the same with AQ and maybe even AJ.

I saw. You answered it after I made my post.

[DrawingDeadInDM 0]

 I did it to isolate and stack a complete jackalope. I've answered all that in the thread my man. I would've done the same with AQ and maybe even AJ.

I saw. You answered it after I made my post.

Did that all make sense? See where I'm coming from?

[TJ_Eckleburg 0]

I think its a lot easier to lose your stack with AK than double it.

If that's the case, then stop playing AK bad.

[NoSup4U 0]

I think its a lot easier to lose your stack with AK than double it.

If that's the case, then stop playing AK bad.

Thats the goal....

[Scott3705 0]

You guys convinced me. Thanks to Matt for starting this thread... but never even posting what happened to bring about the thought. Thanks to TJ an DD too. in my head, i think this was not so much about the value of AK but more the value of taking the lead preflop to be the aggressor post flop. from now on, I'll only reraising here with AA, KK, QQ and 35 of spades.

[DrawingDeadInDM 0]

You guys convinced me. Thanks to Matt for starting this thread... but never even posting what happened to bring about the thought. Thanks to TJ an DD too. in my head, i think this was not so much about the value of AK but more the value of taking the lead preflop to be the aggressor post flop. from now on, I'll only reraising here with AA, KK, QQ and 35 of spades when I know that raising will not isolate a weaker opponent than myself and will only serve to bloat the pot for someone else when I whiff completely.

FYP

[SapphireTiger 0]

The problem with $0.5/$1 NL tables is that they have extreme variations in table texture and that's why we can't easily come to a conclusion. These three type of tables are all possible at these limits:1. Tight "ordinary" table that respects a reraise.2. Aggressive tables that folks will call a reraise with a weaker hand AJ, J10s, 66, etc.3. Ultra wild tables that people at any position will call with anything resembing a hand (any 2 suited cards, any Ax, etc.).Given that he's new to the table, I'd check the average pot size and the percentage of folks preflop to give some indication. The $5 raise seems on par with what you would see at this level as a standard raise. People tend to make the standard bet larger than normal at these tables. 3x bb bets are seldom used at lower limits. 2x raises are used poorly as well. Most people open with 4xbb. Frankly, a reraise to 15 or 20 means that you're committing your whole stack. With any reasonable piece of the flop, you'll likely put the rest of your stack in since all you have left is whatever the continuation bet would be.Given a lack of familiarity with table texture, I would favor calling and reevaulating on the flop since I am likely to have position.

i want to emphasize the fact that i really believe this to be table dependant. I really believe for the majority of the tables at the.50/1 level that it would be correct to re-raise in this situation because you will get called by hands that you will have beat or dominated...i'm going to have to re-read this entire thread again though...a lot of good points were made that is making me re-think how to play AKs.i might just be stuck in a limit mindset...i'm just getting back into NL

[fckthis 0]

Bodog .5/1 Hero: 55Villian: 109Hero in co dealt: a k preflop: 3 folds, mp2 calls, mp3 raises to 5, Hero ????Only a few hands at the table...i was bored and got the free bodog money so i was just screwin around at the table...wasnt sure what i shoulda done

I'm just gonna assume 5's the standard raise at tables like this. Hero calls. You're likely gonna get callers behind, and I don't want to raise, just to get re-raised and have to pitch it. AK is a nice hand if you can hit two pair, flush draw, straight draw, etc. I look to play it, theoretically, very similarly to J10 suited. A drawing hand, and nothing more. When I stopped overplaying AK I started making more money.

Perfect play DM