Going all- in with AK?

[KingToad]

I just sit at the $25 NL Party table. I am dealt AKo, so my .50 bb gets tabled for me. I am in LP. BB raises to $2, 2 call, it's to me. I call. Pot is approximatley $9. BB has $60, other $15-$25.

Flop is K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 3 /images/graemlins/club.gif

it gets check around, I bet $9

bb calls, everyone else folds, pot now $27

I figured him for Ax, or lower pair? wrong?

turn: J /images/graemlins/spade.gif

bb checks, I go all-in with my $15 (thoughts?)


river: 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif


did I play this correctly? Would anyone go all-in on the flop?

[drudman]

I like the way you played it the whole way, except I would have raised originally, but that's just because I like to isolate when I have AKo.

[Paul2432]

Did you just check in LP after posting with AKo after several limpers? If so, I think this is a big mistake. Once the BB raises and you get callers again I would strongly consider raising all-in right there and try and pick up the pot.

On the flop, all-in is probably a good idea because if someone calls, the pot will be too large to fold if you only bet $9. Of course there is a decent chance you lose the hand, but I can't see playing it any other way.

Paul

[Jon Matthews]

Sounds fine to me. A reraise preflop might shake off one or two but not the raisor probably. I'd be in 2 minds whether to do it or not, especially with your stack size (determined by the buyin unfortunately) and the current pot you'd probably be wanting to reraise 35-40% of your stack.

As it went, a pot bet on the flop will get the same callers that an all-in will on that site, so you may as well not push, you stand to lose less this way if the turn makes things ugly. All in on the turn is automatic with that card and it's only 60% of the pot.

8c on the river eh? so he called then. Well he could have anything then. JJ? KJ? AA? 88? wouldn't surprise me.


Jon

[Jon Matthews]

That's a point, you almost ended up limping with AKo, don't do that in that situation.

Not sure about taking the pot right there preflop on Party!! Worth a try though. It's definitely a play that should be considered in general, you can't complain about winning $7 without having to see a flop.

[KingToad]

He did have KJ. It is surprising to see someone in the bb raise to $2 with it. It is just one of those things. I thought about raising preflop with AK, but everytime I do it seems like it doesn't hit.

[Guy McSucker]

I would usually raise preflop in late position. Sometimes not though. No problem.

You get almost the world's safest flop for AK, so from there on your play is fine. With a more draw-laden flop the all-in move on the flop might be preferable. If your stack were bigger (enough for two pot sized bets) I would still go for the two-bet approach though, so as to give draws terrible turn odds.

He will most likely play the same way with K-anything else, calling your turn bet even if he doesn't make two pair. He would also call an all-in bet on the flop I expect.

There's no way to read this situation and get away from it.

Guy.

[tewall]

AK is an ideal hand to get all-in on pre-flop if the stacks are not deep. There was 7$ in the pot when it got to you, and your stack is just a little over 3 times that. If everyone folds to your all-in, that's fine (you increase your stack by 1/3, which is plenty), and if not (likely), then you're getting your money in with very likely the best hand, exactly what you want to do.

The same reasoning applies to getting all-in on the flop. Make a worse hand pay the maximum to out-draw you. There's plenty in the pot to take it down right away.

This link might be interesting to look at (see how AK does): http://www.gocee.com/poker/HE_Value.htm