Simple AKo question

[DLM]

15-30 online.

Our Hero is SB w/AKo. After an hour of play, he's come to the conclusion that the table is a bit passive, a bit loose. One of the better players open raises from early MP. A new, unknown player to the raiser's immediate left calls 2 cold. The button calls and our hero... does what?

There are 3 possible choices. Folding is not a reasonable option. Raising seems fine. Can anyone tell me the reasons why, given the limited information, calling can be an acceptable option? What are the reasons for calling rather than raising. and are these reasons really compelling enough to ever flat call? If so, after stating those reasons, what percentage of the time would you do this?

[Billy LTL]

If I've been folding a lot of hands for awhile I'll often call with AK in the blinds. Kind of the opposite of mixing up my play. A raise at this point attracts unneeded attention. Any observant player would put you on AA, KK, QQ, AK, especially if you haven't been seen making looser raises up to that point.

Because the MP acted first with a preflop raise you can check the flop, he'll very often bet out, then you can do the checkraise thing. If you want.

If I've already been in a few pots, playing hard, then I'd raise from the sb with AK preflop.

Billy

[Dante]

"One of the better players open raises from early MP. A new, unknown player to the raiser's immediate left calls 2 cold."

I'm assuming the loose passive doesn't apply to the new caller.

Reasons to call include a "better player"(I can't tell if this means he's good or is included in the loose passive group, but the top loose passive player) and a new player who called the raise. Plus you will be out of position the whole hand (whether your opponents know how to use that is another question). Also, by just calling, if you don't hit your AK on the flop, it will be cheap(er) to draw to it (assuming the passive part holds up) (although then you need to worry more about running into Aces up if you hit the Ace since IMO Axs is the first thing added to loose players hands.)

Reasons for raising - your hand has a good chance of being the best and 3-betting will take control of the action (for now).

Dante

[rtrombone]

AK is not all that great a hand when there are a few people in the pot with you. AKs is a little better. Unless I'm going to be heads up with one other person, or it's going to be three-way and one of the other players is awful, I just call from the blinds. IMO, you need a pretty strong hand to raise or 3-bet from the blinds because of your terrible position. Another thing to consider is that the raiser likely has an A or a K, making it less likely you will flop a pair.

The other reason I usually call is deception. Any decent player will recognize that I can have a wide range of hands, since I'm calling after two cold callers. When the flop comes low, I can come out betting, representing top pair or a medium overpair.

[elysium]

hi dlm
from the SB you should raise every time against 3 opponents who have already entered.. the reason is that you have the worst position and must get the bets in while you can. you can offset this a little by raising in with 88 and 99 from the SB occasionally.

also, you want to get the BB out because AKo begins deteriorating with 4 opponents in the hand. if you already have 4 opponents in, then calling becomes correct.

by the way, if you flop all rags, do not bet out from the SB. if the UTG bets and it's folded to you, call and check-raise the turn.

[Dynasty]

rtrombone: AK is not all that great a hand when there are a few people in the pot with you. AKs is a little better.

elysium: you want to get the BB out because AKo begins deteriorating with 4 opponents in the hand.

Do you guys just make this stuff up? That's absolute nonsense.

AKo is a monster holding against either 3 or 4 opponents. What other hands would you want? I'll take AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs, and maybe TT and AQs. But, that's it. So, at bare minimum, it's the 8th best hand I could hope to look down and find.

Whether you 3-bet or call is largely determined by what your assessment of the raiser is. If he substantially expands his range of raising hands when first-in in MP, then you 3-bet. If he's as tight in MP as he is UTG (and I'm assuming he's tight), then you call. The callers aren't too relevent since they've probably got very little compared to you.

[rtrombone]

I don't know what the correct EV play here is. If you 3-bet, you give away the strength of your hand, make a big pot even bigger and are still against 3 opponents with the worst position.

The great thing about AK heads up is that you can both miss and you win with AK high. 4-handed, this is not likely to happen.

What you have is a drawing hand. Roughly one in three flops will contain an A or a K. 3-betting pre-flop will get you an extra 3 bets for your one. But you won't win every time you flop an A or K. And with your position and three other opponents, you pretty much need to flop an A or K to have a chance.

I'm assuming that the raiser and cold callers are at least decent players. I think that you have to consider not only the possible hands the raiser has, but the skill of the other players. The better they are, the more foolish it is to 3-bet. Because it is more likely they have some decent cards, and will extract a lot from you if they hit and not pay you off if you do.

This is where deception again comes into play. You may be able to get some bets from decent players if they fail to put you on AK.

Maybe I place too much importance in position. But that's how I feel.

[J.R.]

I'm assuming that the raiser and cold callers are at least decent players.

Isn't it routine to assume coldcallers aren't decent players?