AKo (yuck)

[subzero]

I've only played 13 hands with the villain. He's playing tight and he hasn't done anything crazy. Should I have raised preflop? What's your play on the flop after his reraise? What do you think villain has? Thanks in advance.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG ($40.10)
UTG+1 ($14.40)
MP1 ($20.45)
MP2 ($47.15)
Hero ($57.60)
CO ($87.65)
Button ($22.60)
SB ($24.50)
BB ($20.15)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP1 calls $0.50, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 raises to $2.5</font>, Hero calls $2.50, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, MP1 calls $2.

Flop: ($8.25) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
MP1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets $2.5</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $7</font>, MP1 folds, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 raises to $21</font>, Hero?...

[ QUOTE ]
I've only played 13 hands with the villain. He's playing tight and he hasn't done anything crazy. Should I have raised preflop? What's your play on the flop after his reraise? What do you think villain has? Thanks in advance.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG ($40.10)
UTG+1 ($14.40)
MP1 ($20.45)
MP2 ($47.15)
Hero ($57.60)
CO ($87.65)
Button ($22.60)
SB ($24.50)
BB ($20.15)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A/images/graemlins/club.gif, K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP1 calls $0.50, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 raises to $2.5</font>, Hero calls $2.50, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, MP1 calls $2.

Flop: ($8.25) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
MP1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 bets $2.5</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $7</font>, MP1 folds, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 raises to $21</font>, Hero?...

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with the 'yuck'. Damn AK always getting me into trouble. I've been in this situation quite a few times, and never am sure what to do. Depends mostly on the other opponent I think.

Anyway, he had a 5x BB raise preflop, which should put him on quite a strong hand, considering he's MP and at a 9-handed table.

Possbilities are:
AA (unlikely with you holding an A)
TT
33 ... both of these pocket pairs seem too weak for such a raise

At these limits, there's also the possibility of someone pushing on a flush draw (or straight and flush draw...something like QsJs).

While his likely holdings indicate you should probably call here, I'm most likely folding. You're only getting about 1:1 pot odds here.

My new favorite question to ask myself:
"What did he raise that you can actually beat?"

Not much, except maybe the flush draw.

[djoyce003]

13 hands isn't enough of a sample size to have any kind of a read. I think you at worst tied here and likely ahead. I can't see him having AA...TT is possible but so is AQ and AJ....the hand i'd be most afraid of is AT. I'd like this better if your K was a spade. I'd push.

[noggindoc]

[ QUOTE ]
13 hands isn't enough of a sample size to have any kind of a read. I think you at worst tied here and likely ahead. I can't see him having AA...TT is possible but so is AQ and AJ....the hand i'd be most afraid of is AT. I'd like this better if your K was a spade. I'd push.

[/ QUOTE ]

i agree, i think TT is the only reasonable hand you are crushed by.

[subzero]

I decided to fold. I felt like I'd be overplaying top pair if I continued with the hand. When I raised the flop I was saying, "I have AK, beat that!". When he re-raised, I felt that he could. I'd feel better about pushing if I knew he was a LAG. Before the flop, I put him on AA, AK, AQ, KK-TT. When he re-raised, I felt like I was way behind (splitting at best).

[Isura]

[ QUOTE ]

Anyway, he had a 5x BB raise preflop, which should put him on quite a strong hand, considering he's MP and at a 9-handed table.

Possbilities are:
AA (unlikely with you holding an A)
TT
33 ... both of these pocket pairs seem too weak for such a raise

[/ QUOTE ]

5xbb is a standard raise in this spot. And villain will be raising worst hands than TT here.

[Isura]

I like a fold too. Even though you might be ahead, you don't have a decent draw and you are most likely behind.

[theweatherman]

I think raising preflop would help you out a lot in deciding on the flop. First of all it will isolate to haeds up most of the time, and it will tell you where you stand. On the flop the only hands that are beating you would either fold to a pf reraise or three bet you pf. AA raises pf, 33 folds A3 folds, AT folds, the only hand I see calling a raise preflop is TT, in which case your screwed.

Anyways, I see the villian with AK, AQ, AJ, probably with a spade, He doesnt put you on AK since you didnt raise preflop, hence he three bets the flop. I think defining your hand by reraising preflop might save you the flop three bet, even if the villian still comes over the top then you fold with no regrets.

[subzero]

[ QUOTE ]
I think raising preflop would help you out a lot in deciding on the flop. First of all it will isolate to heads up most of the time, and it will tell you where you stand.

[/ QUOTE ]
I usually do raise preflop with AK. Flop probably plays different if I did. For some reason, I just called preflop hoping to hit an ace or king. I do see the merits of raising preflop (especially since I had position). If I raised preflop, he re-raises with AA or KK and I might be able to fold. If he has AQ, AJ, QQ, or JJ, he'll be more afraid of the ace on the flop. I'm in trouble against TT, but I may still find a fold after the flop.

[rikz]

Fold.

I would have played this the same. I don't like reraising with AK. I might have raised villain's mini-continuation bet a little more. Maybe to 10. But once villain re-raises over $20, it looks too much like he hit the flop with a set of A's or T's and is trying to hook a live one by min-betting in hopes of getting someone to raise him. Folding seems best at that point. I think the worst hand he could have here is AT for top two pair. AK for villain would probably have led the flop for more than just $2.5 with a draw on the board. I think this is a dangerously played set or two pair from villain. After all, if you had Ks Qs, you'd just call and get a cheap shot at a flush vs his big hand on the flop.

[theweatherman]

Why dont you like reraising pf with AK?

[ QUOTE ]
I decided to fold. I felt like I'd be overplaying top pair if I continued with the hand. When I raised the flop I was saying, "I have AK, beat that!". When he re-raised, I felt that he could. I'd feel better about pushing if I knew he was a LAG. Before the flop, I put him on AA, AK, AQ, KK-TT. When he re-raised, I felt like I was way behind (splitting at best).

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is perfectly fine and what I would have done too.