AKo HU

[secada]

Playing in a 11 person $20 buy in NLH tourney this past weekend. $160 to the winner, $60 to 2nd.

I am in the final two with a decent, but not great player that I think I have very good read on by this point. My opponent was able to capitalize early on some of the bad players who were a little intoxicated and built a huge chip lead.

When we begin HU, my opponent has ~$185 I have ~$35. Blinds are 4/8. I quickly come back and eventually grab a slight chip lead. I have $135, he has $85.

Then I am dealt: A /images/graemlins/spade.gifK /images/graemlins/heart.gif
My opponent raises to $18. I reraise $25. He reraises $25 and I immediately go all in.

I am almost certain (based on my read) that I am not up against a big pocket pair and think that worst case he has 66-TT.

I am wondering if this is the correct play on my part. Because I feel that I was the better player should I have just called his reraise and tried to outplay him after the flop?

In case you were wondering, my opponent called, showed me KJo, and hit a jack on the turn and took it down. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

Thanks,

secada

[Jason Strasser]

Fold preflop. AK is a bad hand, especially against KJ. Don't get all your money in with a dominating hand, as there is always a chance you can lose.

[secada]

Jason,

I know I was way ahead and out of all the reasonable hands he could have Kx and Ax would be the best for me.

I was just wondering if it is really worth going all in preflop HU when you feel you can consistently outplay your opponents after the flop.

I am sure this is only in my head because I lost.

-secada

[Jason Strasser]

Look:

cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
Ks Jd 426679 24.92 1265860 73.93 19765 1.15 0.255
As Kc 1265860 73.93 426679 24.92 19765 1.15 0.745

You are an overwhelming favorite with this hand. You can not lay this down here. Heads up, with the blinds fairly high, this is as good as its going to get. Folding is a terrible terrible play. Calling to see the flop is also not desirable, because you are not going to hit an A or K on all flops, but you still may be ahead.

Push 100% of the time here. This is trivial. Sorry for the sarcastic post before.

[secada]

Thanks. I'd be a hypocrite if I ever gave any crap about being sarcastic. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Beavis68]

If you are going to raise, you have to go all-in. Too much money in the pot to fold on the flop. Part of out playing your opponent is not putting your self in a position where you would have to get your money in the the worst hand.

Say the flop came up 2 2 Q - and your opponent goes all-in? Now what? Do you fold and give him a big chip lead?

A lot of writers have said, if positions like this, if you are going to raise big with AK, go all-in so you can see all five cards. Otherwise you lose a lot of the power of the hand. The other option is a limp - small raise hoping to trap.

I had this exact same situation in one of the last sit-n-gos I played, the other opponent was extrememly tight, and I just completed the SB hoping he would raise, he did and I re-raise him all-in - he had KJ too and also hit a J - oh well. We all need a little luck.

[Tosh]

[ QUOTE ]
Jason,

I know I was way ahead and out of all the reasonable hands he could have Kx and Ax would be the best for me.

I was just wondering if it is really worth going all in preflop HU when you feel you can consistently outplay your opponents after the flop.

I am sure this is only in my head because I lost.

-secada

[/ QUOTE ]

No offence but the fact you are questioning what happened here, makes me wonder about you being able to outplay your opponent. I don't mean to be an ass but this is so clearly a great situation you got in, why are you asking? Seriously.

EDIT: Your initial raise was too small.

[secada]

Tosh,

Before I posted this hand I hesitated because I thought it was very obvious and straightforward but have been surprised at what I have seen in the past. I don't have lots of experience playing short-handed/HU and was just wondering if there was something I was missing.

I don't generally get results oriented, just a micro limit hold em player I was just looking for different perspectives on having all my chips in PF (yes with a great hand) when I had quickly gone from 1/6th of his chips to slightly ahead.

I agree that my initial raise was too small, thanks.


-secada