Limp-reraise AK in EP??

[Q8offsuit]

Hey everybody, I would really appreciate comments on my play here:

I have been at this table 2 orbits. SB appears to be very aggressive- I watched him bust a couple of short stacks with questionable holdings.

Pokerroom NLHE, $0.25/$0.50

Seat 1: farteater ($30.05 in chips)
Seat 2: TinCupSFA ($8 in chips)
Seat 3: hler ($5.60 in chips)
Seat 4: Slick Vick ($20.60 in chips)
Seat 5: Q8OFFSUIT [ As,Kc ] ($20.25 in chips)
Seat 6: gio15 ($16.40 in chips)
Seat 7: law_chicago ($4.75 in chips)
Seat 8: Maverick1970 ($12.55 in chips)
Seat 9: StyleQueen ($23 in chips)
Seat 10: amy143jl ($11.35 in chips)

ANTES/BLINDS
farteater posts blind ($0.10), TinCupSFA posts blind ($0.25).

PRE-FLOP
hler folds, Slick Vick folds, Q8OFFSUIT calls $0.25, gio15 folds, law_chicago folds, Maverick1970 folds, StyleQueen folds, amy143jl folds, farteater bets $5, TinCupSFA folds, Q8OFFSUIT bets $20 and is all-in, farteater calls $15.15.

FLOP [board cards Jd,6h,7s ]

TURN [board cards Jd,6h,7s,Kh ]

RIVER [board cards Jd,6h,7s,Kh,8s ]

SHOWDOWN
Q8offsuit shows [ As,Kc ]
farteater shows [ Qs,Qc ]
Q8offsuit wins $38.75.

SUMMARY
Dealer: amy143jl
Pot: $40.75 | Rake: $2
farteater loses $20.25
TinCupSFA loses $0.25
Q8offsuit bets $20.25, collects $38.75, net $18.50
---------

Was this play just ridiculous? I felt this was a push or fold situation- $6 in the pot so i chose push. Now I feel wrong to have committed my stack on a coin flip. All comments appreciated. Thank you.

PS - what about this guy's nickname- "farteater" ?!?!? /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[TheGrifter]

You need to bet out here, whatever your standard raise is, coupla bucks.

I don't like a call because you're short-stacked, if the max buy in at this table is 50 then you should have that in front of you. Push is fine against this guy, sounds like he's a bad player so take advantage of it.

If he is typically bad then he will call you with a lot of hands ranging from AJ to pocket 9's...you'll be ahead much more often than you'll be behind.

[Q8offsuit]

Just to clarify - max buy-in in this game is $25- so my stack is about average.

[TStoneMBD]

I dont see a point of limping with AK in middle position when everyone has already folded. You are better off raising here like 4xx the BB. Despite that, you said that you feel wrong to commit your stack on a coin flip... but that is just silly. this isnt tournament here. after you limped and were raised i would push here also. this play takes away your poor position and allows you to possibly have the original raiser fold and allow for you to pick up the pot here. playing cash games isnt about surviving as a tournament is, you can rebuy all you want. in a tournament you arent necessarily going to call down flush draws with correct pot odds, but in a cash game you should always do so.

[Zag]

TStone is exactly correct about the difference between a tournament and a cash game. However, in a tournament, especially as you are getting close to the money, pushing in this case might also be a good idea if you are pretty sure the opponent would lay down pairs lower than TT.

I don't hate the limp-reraise here, though I don't think it should be the primary play. But if the opponent is pretty aggressive (i.e. he can be counted on to raise if limped to) and therefore would raise with a wide variety of hands, this is a fine play.

Note that AK is a coin flip (actually slightly behind) with a few hands, but is well ahead of any non-pair, and dominates any lesser A or K. In other words, it is usually the bull, sometimes the balls, and even when it is a dog, it isn't a really bad dog. It is only deeply behind AA and KK, and those hands are even less likely than usual when you hold one of each.

Contrast this to playing a smallish pair: Either you are a little ahead, or you are way behind. And yet, plenty of idiots play their 77 as if they were the nuts preflop.

Sure, you aren't going to put 150 BBs behind AK preflop, but you should be glad to put in 40, especially against a person in a steal position. He turned out to have a good hand this time, but would you have expected him to follow the same betting pattern with AQ or AJs? Those are more common, and they are WAY more behind your AK than QQ was ahead of it.

[bingledork]

I wouldn't make a habit of limping with AK in early position, but I think you played this hand fine.
I like your pre-flop push.

[JohnG]

Given the depth of money and lack of dead money in the pot, limping is fine. Once the guy raises, you are right to think you had to push in or fold depending on your read. Played it well.

[Big Jon]

I don't like the call, but I like the push. I think it was played fine. Limp-raising with big hands like this can be a good way to change gears every now and then.

Also, it's usually courteous to eliminate screen names when you post hands. Use position identifiers instead.