Check-up. Misplaying this hand?

[pokeraz]

NLH B&M Tournament. $125 Buy-in.

Quick background on my style. I am ultra tight, but am very aggressive. Usually too aggressive which I think I was here. I will, 99% of the time, after raising pre-flop, bet post-flop regardless of what comes up. Unless I absolutely feel the flop hit someone else.

Blinds are 50-100 and I haven't seen a flop yet. I have T1650 (start with T2000) look down in MP and find AK of clubs. One limper to me, I raise T400 to make it T500 to go. All fold back to the limper who just calls. The last pot he was involved in, he moved all in pre-flop and got no callers and proudly showed his hand with pocket sixes. I really can't put him on a hand. He is unkown to me and I can't forget the sixes.

Anyway, flop comes 474, one club. He checks to me, I would like the hand to end now so I push all in fully expecting him to fold. Of course he beat me in the pot and turned over his A7 offsuit. No miracle King and I am out.

Am I way off track here with my play or did I just run into an unfortunate hand? Do I need to adjust my strategy.

I thought about a smaller bet but if I bet the pot, I am committed anyway. If I make a smaller bet, I look weak and he is going to move in on me anyway but I guess I could fold. I would have had a hard time folding in that situation.

Your thoughts?

[CrisBrown]

Hi pokeraz,

I think you're right in suggesting that you may be playing too tight. When you do that, you force yourself to be too aggressive on the hands you do catch.

AK is essentially a hit-or-quit hand. Until it hits for a pair, or a broadway straight, it's just Ace-high. And at a tight table, Ace-high is not something you want to bet for value, because anyone who calls you will have you beat. If you have the advantage of position with AK, you can bet at a rag flop if checked to. Out of position, as you were here, you have to play defensively when AK misses.

But that's hard to do when you're playing ultra-tight and thus not involved in many hands. When you're playing that way, and you do catch a hand, you feel pressed to play the heck out of it and hope to pick up a big pot ... and that cost you here.

I would suggest that you work on learning how to play more kinds of hands, so you don't feel so compelled to overplay your big hands. That way, if you drop 500 on AK when it misses and your opponent hits, you can shrug it off with the confidence that you'll get those chips back on another hand, when a suited connector or some such hits for a big draw (or even just two pair) and your opponents pay you off.

I hope this helps,

Cris