AKo play

[Meatmaw]

Stars $33 SNG, blinds 25/50, I'm UTG+2 (8 players remaining) with $1300. I raise to $150, two callers behind me (in MP). Flop K84 rainbow, and I check followed by $150, call. I raise all-in and they fold, call.

Was my all-in too aggresive, or was my initial check a bad play despite the outcome?

Please tune the responses to whatever you think of $33 Stars play.

Thanks.

[RiverTheNuts]

I play the same way, except I might make a less extreme reraise to keep KJ and other random crap in the hand. The only reason to push is fold equity, which, on this flop, you have about none... someone either has a weaker king or a set. If they have a set they arent folding, if they have a weaker king, you dont want them to fold. With a flop that effed up, I might check/call if LP keeps betting. The way ahead/way behind theory...

If you got it all in here though the end result was right

[Meatmaw]

Why would it be correct to get it all in here (regarding your last comment), if there is no folding equity?

[RiverTheNuts]

I didnt mean going all in, I mean if you can get all your chips in with a caller this hand I guess it doesnt really matter how you do it, though I think I check/call, or raise it up to about 350. With 2 other players drawing at stuff the push all in isnt really that bad in retrospect though.

[Paul2432]

I bet this flop nearly every time, probably around 2/3 of the pot. If a player raises I go all-in. I prefer this line over check-raising the flop for several reasons.

1) My natural move after a preflop raise is to make a continuation bet. Hence, a bet doesn't necessarily mean that I connected with the flop. Some opponents are likely to be more suspicious of a check than a bet.

2) If my opponent does have KQ or KJ I will get much more of his chips by betting out. A C/R tells my opponent I have a very strong hand and lets him get away cheaply.

3) By checking I am risking giving a free card. Some opponents will fold if you bet and take a free card if you check. While it won't happen too often that an opponent draws out on you when he would have folded, it costs you your stack when it does, so you need to be careful. TPTK is only one pair after all.

Paul

[Unarmed]

Yes, the all-n is only getting called by a hand that has you beat.

I bet the flop. You raised UTG, thinking players will put you on AK/AA/KK/QQ. 3 of those hands hit, and a player with QQ will often lead his flop trying to see where he's at. Your check on this bone dry flop reeks of a big hand. Just bet it. The only way you're making money on this is if someone has a weaker K. At this level the most common mistake players make is calling too much. Let them make that mistake by betting the flop.

[Meatmaw]

So if I bet out on the flop and get reraised, I would then fold?

[Unarmed]

[ QUOTE ]
So if I bet out on the flop and get reraised, I would then fold?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, unless your opponent is awful. Basically, any action I get on that flop with AKo scares the hell out of me. If called you are either way ahead or way behind so you have a choice on the turn.

You can check to rep QQ/JJ if your opponent is more likely to bet himself than call another bet or you can bet the same amount you did on the flop if the opposite is true.

I normally check it as I don't want to play a huge pot with AKo on a dry board. Whenever you end up doing that, you're normally smoked.

[lastchance]

This is L1 in a 33. I don't think you can rule out that your opponents are going to be awful a significant percentage of the time.