Scuba_Curtains:Maybe I have something to learn about AK

[Scuba Chuck]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) internettexasholdem.com (http://www.internettexasholdem.com)

UTG (t1075)
UTG+1 (t1000)
UTG+2 (t990) <font color="white"> ANDREX Ac Qc </font>
MP1 (t983)
MP2 (t697)
MP3 (t1245)
CO (t1130) <font color="white"> mikelokey Kh Ks </font>
Hero (t960)
SB (t935)
BB (t985)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+2 raises to t45</font>, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises to t75</font>, HERO folds...

[Mr_J]

Looks like the raising could get out of hand ( eg we call, utg+2 reraises, CO pushes).

Well, let me put in a guess. Suppose UTG+2 has AK or AQ and CO has 99-QQ. How good is my AK then?

[bluefeet]

i do the same early level, following a raise and a reraise. UTG+2 pushing back over is the first concern. facing a most certain c-bet and a whiff doesn't warrant the risk here on this one. not to mention the off chance we're still behind on an A or K flop.

[fluorescenthippo]

this looks standard to me at any buyin over 55. the minraiser almost certainly has us beaten or tied.

well you either push or fold. with a raise and a reraise some one has at least a pair. so at best you'll have a coin flip amusing you dont go against KK AA. you have 960 in chips so you dont need to get involed at all, so either raise or fold

[adanthar]

I would call this but I don't mind folding, either. If you were the SB the fold would be super easy.

[SuitedSixes]

Easy fold. You are sandwiched between two players who like their hand, and the only flop you are going to feel good about is QJT.

Accept the $EV from one of these players losing chips and move on.

[Seadood228]

exactly why I don't like calling here...

I'd fold this in a sng, but probably not in an MTT.

[curtains]

btw I would never dream of calling here in a SnG. I dont think its even a close decision.

[gildwulf]

[ QUOTE ]
well you either push or fold. with a raise and a reraise some one has at least a pair. so at best you'll have a coin flip amusing you dont go against KK AA. you have 960 in chips so you dont need to get involed at all, so either raise or fold

[/ QUOTE ]

Hero has position here though, so I would be less inclined to push and more inclined to call, see how the flop betting goes and actually play some poker. With no reads a fold looks fine here too.

Well if it's AQ and 99-QQ then your AK is not bad at all but if it's AK instead of AQ then not.

What if you call and get reraised, how good is your AK then? What if you're up against AA or KK, how do you like it? Considering the action in front AA or KK will be out there quite a bit.

I value AK less than I did a few months ago and I'm pretty sure I'm better off. AK is not a bad hand but when it's raised and reraised in front of you ...

[ QUOTE ]
Well if it's AQ and 99-QQ then your AK is not bad at all but if it's AK instead of AQ then not.

[/ QUOTE ]
Against AK &amp; 99-QQ, you have 17.5% equity.
Against AQ &amp; 99-QQ, you have 34.3% equity.
Against AQ+ &amp; 99-QQ, you have 26.5% equity.

Adding KK and AA into the pocket pair range doesn't change htings much (against AK &amp; 99+, you have 16.8% equity, for instance).

Are those numbers for everyone allin preflop? If that's the case they don't mean much here, not yet anyway.

[bigt439]

[ QUOTE ]
I would call this but I don't mind folding, either. If you were the SB the fold would be super easy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. But I also really like the idea of this hand; a fold here is just a super interesting play, and usually the correct one.

[1C5]

At what limits though? A fold at the 11s and 22s and 33s is probably not the right play as you will see AJ and AQ and 72o as much as KK and AA or QQ.

[Custer]

Keep in mind that Curtains is playing in a somewhat different game than most of you are used to.

moses

[bigt439]

[ QUOTE ]
At what limits though? A fold at the 11s and 22s and 33s is probably not the right play as you will see AJ and AQ and 72o as much as KK and AA or QQ.

[/ QUOTE ]

109+

[ QUOTE ]
Keep in mind that Curtains is playing in a somewhat different game than most of you are used to.

moses

[/ QUOTE ]
Which brings up a great point... should you play significantly differently at lower buyins?

Since what Curtains is doing on a daily basis is where some of us are willing to invest years of our life to get to, is it bad to apply his knowledge to $22s/$33s?

I can see that by playing a style that's succesful at the $215s, you may be giving up some of the chips that $22 donkeys throw around, but are you actually going to lose more SNGs for playing that way?

[2DAXTRM (Jeff)]

Common, folding is ridiculous. Just call here, or possibly move all in if you think he is a retard (he probably is).

[2DAXTRM (Jeff)]

Oops, I misread the hand. I didn't realize there was two raises, I thought you were the one who raised, and the other person made like a min raise. My bad. Folding is correct.

[Scuba Chuck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Keep in mind that Curtains is playing in a somewhat different game than most of you are used to.

moses

[/ QUOTE ]
Which brings up a great point... should you play significantly differently at lower buyins?

Since what Curtains is doing on a daily basis is where some of us are willing to invest years of our life to get to, is it bad to apply his knowledge to $22s/$33s?

I can see that by playing a style that's succesful at the $215s, you may be giving up some of the chips that $22 donkeys throw around, but are you actually going to lose more SNGs for playing that way?

[/ QUOTE ]

Play in a manner which maximizes EV. Do that, and you'll be happy.