AQo AKo

[JSD_DV]

Using pokerstats on Paradise 1/2 and .5/1 limit hold'em over the course of around 3000 hands I have discovered a terrifying fact: AKo and AQo are losers! (The way I've been playing them)

AK's a raise right? Maybe...
AQ: raise an unraised pot right? Is it?


I wonder, are AK and AQ as playable as they seem in certain situations? Do you raise, call or fold AK, or AQ in early middle or late position with 3, 4, or 5 callers plus blinds?

I know that there are many possible combinations of questions in the above question, but if you feel like you've got an answer, I need the help and I'm sure that many of you have also felt like you're focing things more than you have to pre-flop and beyond against the sea of calling stations and drawers.

[BigStanfordAlex]

This is a great question.

Actually I think alot of the money your talking about losing is calling 2 bets with ace-queen. I will fold this hand many times pre-flop to tight early position raisers. Alot of people will autocall and find themselves against aa, ak, kk, or qq, all of which become extremely difficult to beat. I call that same raise with ak or course, but notice aq suited is a much better hand for 2 bets than aq off. I play ak conservatively early, why not see a flop for 1 beat, when it's family style. If the table is tight always raise. AQ off, I only raise with middle and late when it's an effectively raise. (table is tight) A lot of low limits, and your talking extremely low limit games, you may find you need 3 bet sitatuions to lose people.

Depends.

My main point, study your pre-flop play of AQ, can you fold it for 2 bets under certain conditions. If you can't you'll find yourself in trouble on A 7 2 flops paying off superior hands.

[thirddan]

AK: raise preflop
AQ: raise preflop

these hands are soooooo much better than the average crap hands that players will play. With the exception of pairs AK/AQ rate to be much better than other random hands that are dealt that you must raise while your hand is the best, remember that all other hands are drawing against you...

still your sample size is too small to really prove anything, and i think that most players lose most of their money on these hands postflop, either chasing overcards to far or raising/betting A high against calling stations...

[thirddan]

Overcards Essay (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=micro&Number=440052&fp art=&PHPSESSID=)

[BottlesOf]

The Trilogy (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=779908&page=&view=&sb =5&o=&vc=1)

[bdk3clash]

[ QUOTE ]
Using pokerstats on Paradise 1/2 and .5/1 limit hold'em over the course of around 3000 hands I have discovered a terrifying fact: AKo and AQo are losers! (The way I've been playing them)

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it is almost impossible for a moderately skilled player (read: someone who can navigate to twoplustwo.com /images/graemlins/smile.gif ) to lose money with AKo/AKs/AQo/AQs in the long term. Having said that, 3000 hands is a drop in the bucket. You may be misplaying your hands, or you may be running bad. You'll be better off posting hands that troubled you in the appropriate forum (micro stakes for $0.50/1 and $1/2) and getting feedback there.

[ QUOTE ]
AK's a raise right? Maybe...

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't think of the last time I didn't raise/re-raise with AKo or AKs. I'd be hard-pressed to think of a scenario where not raising or re-raising would be correct at the small stakes. Even on the rare occasion where you are truly [censored] and run into AA/KK, you've generally got plenty of extra callers around to compensate.

[ QUOTE ]
AQ: raise an unraised pot right? Is it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Approximately 100% of the time. If you never limped or coldcalled with AQo/AQs you'd approach optimal play. Barring a specific read on someone as having loose raising standards, my default play is to muck AQo to a raise. Interestingly, I tend to 3-bet with AQs unless I know the raiser has very tight raising standards. This is very read/player dependent, but I think coldcalling is generally the worst of your 3 options when confronted with a raise with AQo/AQs.

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder, are AK and AQ as playable as they seem in certain situations? Do you raise, call or fold AK, or AQ in early middle or late position with 3, 4, or 5 callers plus blinds?

[/ QUOTE ]

Everything depends, but keep in mind you raise preflop for many reasons, probably the most important of which is that you have the best of it. This doesn't mean your hand will win most of the time, or even that you are a favorite to win a hand. It just means that in the long run, you get an overlay on the bets you put in preflop.

Raise AQ/AK vs. any number of limpers at the small stakes. Think of the nonsense you see shown down at the tables. Raise AQ/AK on principle alone.

[ QUOTE ]
I know that there are many possible combinations of questions in the above question, but if you feel like you've got an answer, I need the help and I'm sure that many of you have also felt like you're focing things more than you have to pre-flop and beyond against the sea of calling stations and drawers.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just get the money in while you're getting the best of it. Holding AKs/AKo/AQs/AQo against a horde of bad players who have limped in preflop qualifies as "getting the best of it."

Solid preflop play is the foundation upon which winning hold'em players are built. We'll worry about the rest later. /images/graemlins/smile.gif