Poll: how do you play AKs

[Derek in NYC]

Choose the option that most closely describes how you play AKs. Assume no reads on the table or information about how many players will see the flop with you.

[sthief09]

position position position

[Cerril]

If I'm in middle or late position and it's four bets to me cold I'll be willing to fold AKs with no reads as my first hand at the table. If something bizarre is going on I'll make enough money off these goons in later hands to make up for a readless fold.

Usually though I'll put in a raise in any position with it, the number of times I've had AKo/s and it's been four bets cold outside the blinds are minimal.. maybe once. And I think that hand was bizarre on another level as well - quads took it.

[joker122]

[ QUOTE ]
position position position

[/ QUOTE ]

Does this mean you're not capping a 3bet UTG with this hand?

[sthief09]

all joking aside, the difference between being faced with a 3-bet on the button and in the SB is like night and day

I know you know that, but it's something I didn't really think about much until very recently. playing AK out of position is a bitch

[MoreWineII]

Depends. That's why I hate these polls.

At a table full of gamboolers where everyone sees the flop and plays poorly post-flop, I'll cold call 4 bets in a heartbeat.

At a table full of 2+2'ers, it's a fold for 4 bets. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Nate tha' Great]

This reminds me of an Onion poll from some years ago entitled "how do you like your cock".

The correct answer is throbbing.

[tadams]

If you call 4 bets cold there has to be at least 3 other players in the pot (the original raiser, the person who 3 bet, and the person who 4 bet). You could be against many different hands even assuming the 3 players are decent. For example, the raiser could have AK, AQ, AJ, KQ or a medium/big pair. The re-raiser is likely to have a pair of some sort or 2 big suited cards. The person who capped probably has a large pair, but could have big suited cards.

I don't think just because it is 4 bets to you, you should automatically assume you are up against AA and KK. There are plenty of scenarios where you are not. Here are just a few I can think of.

Raiser Re-Raiser Capper
KQ JJ QQ
AJ AQs JJ
AQ JJ QQ
TT AJs QQ

In most of these scenarios you have a better than 25% chance of winning, so it is +EV.

[Chris Daddy Cool]

if there are helpless fish trapped between the raisers, you gotta cap AKs for value.

[Chris Daddy Cool]

[ QUOTE ]
playing AK out of position is a bitch

[/ QUOTE ]

meh, just flop an overpair like you will 1/3 of the time and throw your chips in the middle. you'll be surprised how well this works.

[Alexthegreat]

It depends......I played a hand yesterday where i held AQs in the BB, and when it got back around to me, there were 6 people in the hand for 3 bets each.....I capped and split the hand with AT when we both flopped 2 pair and a turned K gave him the split......no AA, no KK, no QQ, no AK.....I think the lower the limit, the less credit I give to any raisers preflop.....

Oh, and if I have position, I cap everytime!

[cnfuzzd]

well said....


peace

john nickle

[pokerkai]

I think a more meaningful conversation would be "how do you play AK when it misses"
Because when you hit with it, it plays pretty damn easy.