AK hand - he called me an idiot...

[Ulysses]

Party 15-30 6-max. Very loose, very aggressive game.

I'm in BB w/ [ Ac, Kd ]

3 limpers. Very uncharacteristic. SB calls. I raise. All 4 call.

** Dealing Flop ** : [ 2h, 9h, 6d ]

Check, check, check, MP bet, fold, SB calls, I checkraise, fold, call, call.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ 2c ]

SB checks, I bet, MP calls, SB calls.

** Dealing River ** : [ 9d ]

SB checks, I check, MP bets, SB folds, I call.

After the hand, MP called me an idiot. Was he right?

[karlson]

I think you played it close to perfect. I guess MP saw your hand, so he must have turned over some raggedy hearts or perhaps even complete junk. Or maybe you chopped with Ah3h. Enough speculation.

I would have bet the flop. I find that I bet the flop almost 90% of the time when I'm the last preflop raiser. Probably too much. But it seems like there's a very good chance that this flop gets checked around if you're ahead. Of course you did say the game was aggressive. Hm. So maybe your chances of getting it heads up with an LP semibluffer are better than usual.

Actually, the river play is questionable. I think I remember an Abdul article/post about a situation almost like this one where a check says "I have an ace, and I'm willing to show it," and it will often get checked around. A bet however, can often encourage a bluff-raise from a busted draw. (Also, I get called by K-high at least once-twice a day, so maybe a simple value bet is called for).

All this depends on the aggressiveness of your opponents of course. Given your description, I would imagine that if someone held a 9, you would have been raised on the turn. However, I'm having trouble putting them on hands. Could they both have hearts? Unlikely. Maybe one of them has hearts and one has a gutshot. Still seems iffy. Seems possible that one of them has a pair after all. If that's the case, then a river check probably saves a bet, even against a 6.

[rigoletto]

After the hand, MP called me an idiot. Was he right?

I don't really know you enough to tell if you're an idiot or not. As for the hand I think you played it well, especially since you split when the 9 on the river counterfitted his A6.

[benping16]

The 9 does not counterfit A6. 9's and 6's beats 9's and 2's

[andyfox]

Are you asking if he was right to call you an idiot or if he was right that you played the hand in an idiotic fashion?

No on both counts.

[Gabe]

[drewjustdrew]

This hand seems to add only variance, and not profit to long term results. May want to consider folding sooner when you have AK against four players and don't hit a pair on the flop.

[ALL1N]

If it's a loose aggressive game, then you should be able to assume that the EP players would probably bet A6, A2, K6, and K2 (and obviously A9, K9), and short of that, could possibly call 2 bets cold with them with the large pot presented.

As such, I can't see the point of your checkraise on the flop. Wouldn't a call be better?

ALL1N

[Ulysses]

I'm a big fan of letting go of AK when I miss. But what hands do these opponents have that beat me that don't raise pre-flop and don't bet the flop?

The late position bettor could have just about anything. Overcards, ace-high, flush-draw. Even if he has a pair, I'm likely drawing very live.

Even w/ these players, they're more likely than not to not have a deuce or six. Really I'm mainly worried about MP having a nine. I figured this was a good time to take a chance and find out.

[Ulysses]

I figured there was a good chance I was ahead and wanted to thin the field as well as find out how much my opponents liked their hands. I agree that most pairs would likely bet the flop.

[Ulysses]

My opponent had Kh5h, so my AK was good.

I'm not really sure how +EV this play is, if at all. And, as one poster said, it's definitely a variance-increasing line. I think I like the way I played this, but I'm not sure if I would feel the same way had I been shown 44 at the end.

[joedot]

There are 4 people in the pot, and you have no pair, and you think there is a "good chance" you are ahead. Quit kidding yourself. Most likely you are behind, and have to hit your hand to win. In the case that you do hit your hand, what hand are you hoping those other players will fold that you can't beat if you hit your ace or king? You are drawing here. Best to draw cheaply so that you are getting appropriate odds to hit your likely 6 outer.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
There are 4 people in the pot, and you have no pair, and you think there is a "good chance" you are ahead. Quit kidding yourself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Given the action, what do you think I'm likely to be behind?