Playing AKs on the Small Blind

mlepinski · #1 02-24-2005, 09:42 PM

This is a hand from a 5+1 Party Poker SnG (which says a lot about my experience with tournament poker). This is the first time I've seen Villian raise in the tournament (he's limped into quite a few pots but never raised) so I believe indicates strength. I hate to fold AKs pre-flop but a little over half the time I'll fail to flop either top pair or a flush draw and then I'm stuck playing overcards out of position against a pre-flop raiser.

So I guess my question is: Should I have folded this hand pre-flop and if not should I have folded when the flop appeared to miss both of us?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (6 handed) converter

MP (Villian)/ (t825)
CO (t2492)
Button (t1408)
Hero (t935)
BB (t1695)
UTG (t645)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
1 fold, Villian raises to t225, 2 folds, Hero calls t200, 1 fold.

Flop: (t500) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, Villian bets t150, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t650

Bigwig · #2 02-24-2005, 10:45 PM

Push preflop.

curtains · #3 02-24-2005, 10:48 PM

Agreed, its a clear allin preflop.

valenzuela · #4 02-24-2005, 11:25 PM

suited or not its a clear push

wiggs73 · #5 02-25-2005, 12:30 AM

Yep, all-in. Make sure you understand why though, it's not just because you have AK. It's because the call costs 20% of your stack. If you're facing a pre-flop raise for that percentage of your chips, especially when you have less than 1000, it becomes a question of "do I want to risk all my chips on this hand". And if the answer is yes, then you come over the top with all your chips.

And for the hand in question, it should be a very easy decision that yes, you want to play this hand for all your chips. If he folds pre-flop then good. If not, you have an excellent chance to double up. You're only in big trouble against two hands here.

KramerTM · #6 02-25-2005, 12:54 AM

And don't forget... the odds of him holding the 2 hands that you are afraid of here are lower since you are holding an AK.

curtains · #7 02-25-2005, 12:56 AM

Thanks wiggs, I was too lazy to go into detail [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]