AK hand...

same session as previous post..


UTG raises...i havent played with him much...

fold to me in late MP, i reraise with AKos, button *weak tight player again* cold calls...UTG calls...3 to flop


flop rags...rainbow


UTG bets, i raise, button folds, UTG calls


turn J


UTG checks, i check *UTG looks a little confused here*


river K


UTG checks, i bet, UTG calls...


i take the pot...


button mentions to guy next to her that she also had AK. i figured UTG for QQ or JJ...but he never showed...


b

That was a beauty Bernie.

Sometimes the guy acting last is actually at a disadvantage. You got to raise with your A-K first thereby shutting out the other A-K. Two hands containing A-K occasionally happens in holdem and these are not all split pots.

Assuming you're opening this hand up to discussion...


I think it's probably not wise to try to get heads-up against someone when you likely have six outs, which would be the case against QQ or JJ or any pocket pair. Your flop raise makes more sense if you put him on something like AQs, but then you still have to worry about the button behind you having a high pocket pair. I think I'd tend to fold here. But I'd like to hear from the experts.

I don' like the way this hand was played personally. You are correct in reraising and shutting the other AK out, but on the turn you should have bet also, suppose you don't catch your K or A on the river. Now what do you do if he checks to you or bets on the river and you don't have any pair, you can try a bluff, but if he was a smart player, he would definitley call you on the end if another over card didn't come out. I mean this is just my opinion.

Not an expert, but my take is that since UTG raised he either has a big pair or more likely AK, AQ, or AJ (mathmatically more likely). Since the button cold called she can be put on a similar hand. When the rags hit and UTG bets there is still no way to narrow down his hand. The raise by Bernie gains him some information. Plus it knocked out the buttons overcards, and if I would have been playing, and been UTG, I would have folded to Bernie's raise as well. I think his additional small bet on the flop gains him a lot.

I liked Bernie's play personally - the flop bet from UTG could mean anything really, and its crucial (and routine IMO) to raise to shut out the button if you want to continue with the hand. The turn check is something I'll occassionally do if the UTG is straightforward (his flop bet means pocket pair 100% of the time), but most of the time I'll just bet the turn and check behind on the river if I don't improve. Checking the turn means you are in a really bad spot if he bets into you on a river blank - he could easily have a worse or same big ace that also airballed and he is trying to pick up the pot because you have big slick written on your forehead at that point.

3-betting pre-flop with AK should become a routine part of your pre-flop play when the 3-bet can get the pot contested short-handed.


On the flop, a typical UTG player will have an overpair. However, the flop raise is good as a "free card" raise and to drive out everyone else behind.


On the turn, the check is good since it is very likely that you are behind or will induce a bluff from a tricky player when you are ahead.


On the river, if an Ace or King doesn't come, you can fold to a non-tricky opponent and call a tricky (or just good) opponent. The turn check will often induce a bluff from AQ or another AK.

You make sense as usual, Dynasty. I also failed to consider that there are already 10 small bets in the pot by the time it gets to you on the flop. Raising costs two small bets and you're likely to get the free river card, so you're probably getting 11 to 2 pot odds and you're about 3 to 1 against hitting your six-outer on the turn/river, I believe (have to check the HPFAP chart). So it does make sense to raise and chase out the player behind you. Okay, I'm convinced!

One of Roy Cooke's recent card player article talked about how he used a check on the turn to induce a person to call on the river with a lesser hand. It was almost exactly the same play Bernie used.


It is a great example of how agressive play with good cards gets the money in holdem.