AK with All Ins - Yikes

[Chief911]

Ok. The 70 call I'm OK with, although maybe I should have raised. What's your move here. The all in caller is LAG in the short amount of time I've seen.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

saw flop|<font color="C00000">saw showdown</font>

UTG (t1260)
UTG+1 (t995)
MP1 (t760)
<font color="C00000">MP2 (t1680)</font>
MP3 (t2740)
King Dork (t1260)
<font color="C00000">Button (t970)</font>
SB (t930)
BB (t1395)

Preflop: King Dork is CO with K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, <font color="CC3333">MP2 raises to t70</font>, MP3 folds, King Dork calls t70, <font color="CC3333">Button raises to t970 (All-In)</font>, SB folds, BB folds, <font color="CC3333">MP2 raises to t1680 (All-In)</font>, King Dork folds.

Flop: (t2750) 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

Turn: (t2750) A/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

River: (t2750) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t2750
<font color="green">Main Pot: t2040 (t2040), between MP2 and Button.</font>
<font color="green">Pot 2: t710 (t710), returned to MP2.</font>

[MLG]

I don't think you should be ok with the 70 call. I would make it about 200 to go here. This is a tough spot for AK, but I think you should call. Your overlay in the pot probably makes up for the possibility that one of your outs is gone. Yes its gambling, but this is poker. You almost certainly won't be in big trouble, and you are getting 2:1 on your call.

[Chief911]

MLG. Oddly, I agree in a way. But at the same time, AK is a trouble hand for me right now. I'm not happy any way I play it usually. Maybe I should start folding it. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

Part of my current reasoning for that call only, is I really want to see a flop with AK. I hate the 50/50 nature of AK vs. a PP, so if I can see a raised flop, I really like to do that.

Ok, blast away. I want to be convinced.

Nick

[tripdad]

i agree with MLG. it's the T70 call that is the worst part of your play. gotta raise it up, and big. then, if you happen to run into KK or AA, so be it. never just call with AKs unless it is an all-in call.

cheers!

[tripdad]

{quote]Part of my current reasoning for that call only, is I really want to see a flop with AK. I hate the 50/50 nature of AK vs. a PP, so if I can see a raised flop, I really like to do that.

Ok, blast away. I want to be convinced.

Nick

[/ QUOTE ]

you don't want to just see a flop w/AK. you want to see all 5 board cards. in order for AK to be 50/50 against QQ and lesser pairs is if you see all 5. it is otherwise a much bigger dog.

cheers!

[MLG]

AK is a trouble hand for everybody. I am never happy with how I play it. My supposition though is that nobody likes it because to play it right you have to gamble with it, and we all like to believe that we are to good at poker to be gambling. AK is an uncomfortable reminder that nobody who plays poker is too good to gamble.

[schwza]

i would reraise pre-flop. given that you didn't, i think that's a good fold. the only spot you're way ahead is if both players have non-pair non-AK hands, and i think that's very unlikely. on the other hand, i think there's a very real chance one or both of them has AA/KK. you're odds are not especially favorable - you haven't put that much in and the blinds are tiny. muck it.

(if you had made a reasonable reraise - say, to 250 - then you'd be pot committed.)

[MLG]

Were you afraid of the boogey man too? Fearing AA and or KK here is looking for monsters. Is it possible? sure, but not likely. You will be way ahead way more than you will be way behind. Folding here is -EV, you will be basically tripling up the times you win. This is still poker as much as we all might not like to admit it...YOU HAVE TO GAMBLE SOMETIMES.

[SossMan]

Haven't read the replies yet, but I don't like the T70 call. I would raise it to about T210 (3x his bet). If the button still comes over the top and the original raiser comes over the top of that, I can lay down with confidence since it is very likely that
A) one of them has a pair
B) absent of a read to the contrary,that pair could easily be AA/KK
C) you could easily have reduce Aces and Kings when you are up against the pair. I think it would be virtually impossible for you to be leading here.

If I felt the table was particularly tough, I may gamble here, but I think that I can find a better spot most of the time.
But without you raising the original bettor, you gave the button license to steal with what may be a worst hand than yours. You didn't let him know you meant business. Given that you just called the first raise, I think you have no choice than to call the all in. You are getting too good a value and you don't have a good enough read to lay down.

Weird how having less money in the pot makes you more committed sometimes than after having put in a raise since that information you get from the raise allows you to narrow down the holdings.

[tripdad]

you see the trouble that ensues when you don't re-raise with AKs? putting an opponent on a hand is nearly impossible.

which is why...yes...i fold here, and vow to play better next hand. i'm confident i can survive losing T70 and still win. i don't care what the odds are, it's just too early to put it all on the line with a drwaing hand.

cheers!