AK on button facing a raise - PP $50 NL

[JrJordan]

After an unsuccessful attempt at the 6-max games, I'm on my way back to the full ringers and experimenting with a few new ideas. One of these is to cold call a raise with AKs when you have position. You can make a killing against AQ or AJ when an A hits, as well as get out relatively cheaply when you miss. Some bluffing equity may be there as well if you sense weakness from the out of position raiser. I've heard this is a good move for deeper stacks, but I decided to try it with a much shallower party stack. I'm new at the table so no read on the villain. Table in general is typical party preflop, and relatively aggressive postflop.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $1 BB (10 handed)

CO ($48)
Hero ($47)
SB ($138.08)
BB ($100.85)
UTG ($59.50)
UTG+1 ($158.78)
UTG+2 ($133.55)
MP1 ($45.85)
MP2 ($49)
MP3 ($103.95)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif. CO posts a blind of $1.50.
UTG calls $1, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 raises to $5</font>, UTG+2 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO (poster) folds, Hero calls $5, SB folds, BB folds, UTG calls $4.

Flop: ($18) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 bets $8</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to $20</font>, UTG folds, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 raises to $153.78 (All-In)</font>, Hero calls $22 (All-In).

Results and comments after some responses.

[chodeman1]

im guessing your opponent flopped a set of sixes, unless maybe he is on a nut flush draw. By reraising preflop, you would have got your opponent to fold, and isolated yourself with the original better, allowing you to take down the pot.

[JrJordan]

I doubt UTG+1 raised 5 preflop with 66. I think the much more likely hands are quality hands like AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, AK, AQ, and AJ. Only two of those hands Ihave to worry about with AK. With such a significant initial raise too, any reraise I make is a big committment to the pot. I'd have to reraise to at least $12. If he pushes on top I guess I could fold, but the point of this post is to see if cold calling with AK is worth the risk.

[SlyAK]

I like it, you have position and can see what the flop brings. With the short party stacks getting it all-in with TPTK should be good more often than not.

FWIW... I really dont like re-raising with AK PF in most situations. I prefer to take a flop and see how things look... (obvious exception against maniacs, etc).

Sly

[JrJordan]

Turns out I picked the wrong time to experiment. Villain flips over AA and I'm done. I'm not sure I could get away from this hand though, because he would play AJ or AQ the same way. I'll have to work with this a little more, but I think with position that this can be a profitable play in the long run with the short stacks.

[JohnG]

Your stack is right on the borderline between calling and re-raising when facing a $5 call. But I think it's a good play to just call here.