AK 1st hand

[bluewilde]

Sorry to make another AK post /images/graemlins/frown.gif.

How's the reraise (I thought about pushing, but figured I'd only get called by a pair /images/graemlins/frown.gif). And what about the flop? What's a good raise that doesn't force me to push? I couldn't think of one.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

CO (t800)
Button (t800)
SB (t800)
Hero (t800)
UTG (t800)
UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t800)
MP1 (t800)
MP2 (t800)
MP3 (t800)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG calls t15, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+2 raises to t30</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises to t50</font>, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t150</font>, UTG folds, UTG+2 calls t120, MP3 calls t100.

Flop: (t472.50) 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero is All-in (650) UTG+2 folds, MP3 folds.

Final Pot: t472.50

[Jman28]

Preflop is fine. Pushing would be too aggressive.

On the flop, you have TPTK, and the board is extremely safe.

I would usually check-raise, and occasionally check call.

If nobody bets, you can bet out the turn. Going all in is not gonna make you as much as you should be able to make here.

[derdo]

I would just call here, not to give the reraiser a chance to push. Because, although people push with crap you don't want a coinflip in the first levels and cannot call with AK.

[durron597]

I would bet 200 here with the intention of making it look like I want to be able to leave chips behind so I can fold. I'm committed to this pot though, there is no card on the turn that would make me fold if I did that.

[yabastid]

Your preflop play is fine, but I really can't understand pushing this flop. The only way I see him calling is if he has a set. I also think if you were against JJ,QQ you would have seen a bigger raise preflop (his preflop raise was crap BTW). So when this very safe flop hits, you have to think how can I get the MAXIMUM number of chips from my opponent. The more chips you acquire early the better- even 25,50,100 more chips is early on is very important. Jamming is not gonna do it- it's probably your worst option. I would check to him and let him try to bet at it. If he put out around 150-200 I might pause and call or pause for a bit like I was thinking and put in one of those donkish miniraises. If he checks back to you I might lead the turn for 100 and hope he sees this as weakness and tries to come OOT- then obviously you could jam or call or miniraise. There's many ways to play this but your worst option here is pushing what is the best possible flop for you and probably crap for your opponent. Your thought process when the flop hits you well shouldn't be "Oh, I think I'm safe lemme jam it allin there" it should be "What can I do to extract every possible chip from my opponent." These are the hands that propel you into the money or bust you on the bubble when you misplay them.

good luck,

yabastid