big slick early in a 33

[cjs]

2nd hand of a 33 on party so no reads.

**** Hand History for Game 2993905781 *****
NL Texas Hold'em $30 Buy-in + $3 Entry Fee Trny:17200459 Level:1 Blinds(10/15) - Sunday, November 06, 22:30:46 EDT 2005
Table Table 67923 (Real Money)
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: coolmoney001 ( $800 )
Seat 2: Bfolse ( $800 )
Seat 3: nthn2fancy ( $800 )
Seat 4: jon__hill ( $785 )
Seat 5: pizzaboy666 ( $785 )
Seat 6: kcsbest1 ( $875 )
Seat 7: UJazzMan ( $785 )
Seat 8: ASaltySalute ( $785 )
Seat 9: wnk92892 ( $785 )
Seat 10: hero ( $800 )
Trny:17200459 Level:1
Blinds(10/15)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to hero [ Ac Kh ]
hero raises [45].
coolmoney001 folds.
Bfolse folds.
nthn2fancy folds.
jon__hill calls [45].
pizzaboy666 folds.
kcsbest1 folds.
UJazzMan folds.
>You have options at Table 68236 Table!.
ASaltySalute folds.
wnk92892 calls [30].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 6s, 7s, Tc ]
wnk92892 bets [40].
hero raises [125].
jon__hill folds.
wnk92892 calls [85].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Ah ]
wnk92892 checks.
hero bets [300].
wnk92892 calls [300].
** Dealing River ** [ 2s ]
>You have options at Table 64828 Table!.
wnk92892 bets [300].

hero ???

[splashpot]

Raise more preflop. Call the flop bet. Go from there.

[cjs]

Do you really only want to pick up the blinds in level 1? If you raise 5x the bb you will get less or no callers.

In this hand if I am called preflop and call his flop bet don't we get to the same spot on the turn. An A falls he checks and I make a strong bet.

I took the check on the turn as a draw and bet enough to give him no odds to call. He just calls and when the the draw hits on the river he leads. I laid the hand down but wanted to see if I played it poorly.

[splashpot]

We must not be playing in the same 33s. A raise to 60-75 usually gets plenty of callers for me level 1. You're out of position, so I would probably raise to 75.

On the flop, when you raise, you expose yourself to a re-raise. That is the main reason I don't like it. Plus, you're probably behind in the hand. But even if you don't get reraised, what if a blank comes on the turn?

While 3xBB is my standard PFR, when the blinds are only 10/15 I usually raise to 90. Anything less doesn't seem to thin the herd out too much.

His bets seem to me that he's more concerned about keeping you in the pot than anything else. Small bet at the flop and then calling your raise could mean that he flopped a straight or set and is just trying to milk you. He's also getting the right pot odds for a flush draw by calling your raise at the flop.

When he checked the Ace at the turn and then called your 300, again it seems like he's more afraid of you getting scared off by the Ace than worried that you might have one.

His bet on the river looks like he's trying to squeeze more chips out of you with a hand he made at the flop, or less likely he just made his flush. With the possibility for a flush and a straight out there, I don't think your single pair will hold. I'd lay it down.

[ QUOTE ]
I took the check on the turn as a draw and bet enough to give him no odds to call. He just calls and when the the draw hits on the river he leads. I laid the hand down but wanted to see if I played it poorly.

[/ QUOTE ]

You posted this while I was still writing my earlier reply, so didn't see it until now. I think you played this hand post-flop very well and showed a lot of discipline that many players at low limits lack.

It really looks like he was playing suited/connectors and felt a 30chip bet was worth the risk for getting an early lead. He most likely got lucky on the flop and luckier still when the Ace showed and kept you involved.

[cjs]

If I get reraised on the flop I can lay it down without a second thought. In this hand it would have saved me chips.

I didn't look at it as a made hand on the flop but if I had a set I might have played it similar to the villian. I may have just screwed this hand up from the beginning. The laydown on the river may have been the only thing I did right.

I would prefer limping with AK in EP on the first round of a SNG because as already stated by some respondents it is quite common for players to tag along with almost any semi-decent drawing hands even with a raise of 60. Anyway, the fact that you raised the flop missed it and someone led out, no shame in giving it up. It is the first hand and you still have plenty of chips. The way it played out, you most likely run into a set or at least 2 pairs. Give it up. Lots of crazies in these 33 buy-ins.

[suited_ace]

[ QUOTE ]
Raise more preflop. Call the flop bet. Go from there.

[/ QUOTE ]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What he said. You don't want a lot of callers, that's the point! Playing AK OOP without any reads against a lot of opponents isn't your ideal situation.

[tigerite]

[ QUOTE ]
Raise more preflop. Call the flop bet. Go from there.

[/ QUOTE ]

[cjs]

So with a AK out of position early you really want to just take the blinds?

The more you raise aren't narrowing the hand range who will call - and possibly leaving only hands you are even or trailing to?

[tigerite]

AK is not that great; it works best with fewer opponents and the best hand it makes 90% of the time is TPTK - which is not that strong in NL anyway.

Yes, I'm happy to take the blinds with it at level 1, and if someone comes along with AQ/AJ and an A flops - bargain.

[SonnyJay]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you really only want to pick up the blinds in level 1? If you raise 5x the bb you will get less or no callers.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, it's not the worst thing that can happen. You aren't looking to play this against a huge field. AK goes from a strong hand to a difficult hand after the flop about 2/3 of the time, especially OOP against many opponents. I either raise bigger (most of the time) or if reads indicate I'm not likely to limit the field, limp with it. The additional benefit of the raise is that you've taken the lead, so if you take the flop against 1 opponent your continuation bet is more effective than just betting the flop after a limp.

Calling the flop bet is also ideal. Why exactly is he betting into the preflop raiser? Whatever he has, I don't think you're taking him off of it with this raise very frequently. Once the turn brings your ace I think your thinking is fine.

-SonnyJay