Aggressive AK Play on Level2

[Cunning Linguist]

- This is a $20+2
- My only read is on the SB, who lost all his stack playing like a donk
- I realize this is pretty aggressive for level 2. More than I usually am, anyways.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) converter

UTG (t1790)
UTG+1 (t800)
MP1 (t660)
MP2 (t850)
MP3 (t730)
CO (t670)
Button (t725)
SB (t180)
SuperHero (t1595)

Preflop: SuperHero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">UTG raises to t60</font>, <font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, Button calls t60, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to t180 (All-In)</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SuperHero raises to t1595 (All-In).....</font>

What is a better line?

[Xenod]

That's a really big raise for AK so early. If UTG is any good, then he must have a pretty good hand to be raising from there. Ideally, you want to knock everyone out and get your 5 cards against the SB's random hand, but UTG could easily have some sort of monster.


I'd make it 300. It tells the table you have a real hand and want to knock out the SB. If UTG raises that bet then he probably has JJ or better, and although you might be a coinflip, you can still get away from the hand with a decent stack. I wouldn't worry too much about the button, but you could respect his raise as well.

[pearljam]

actually, I would just fold, anyone else agree with me?

[curtains]

I don't mind folding here either....I fold AK a lot in rounds 1-2, often to a single raise depending on it's size.

[Xenod]

Why fold? Nobody has shown significant strength here, and you have a chance to knock someone out with some dead money in the pot. It just seems like a weak play here.

Do you really need AA or KK to make any kind of move with level 1 or 2 blinds?

[tjh]

Anyone else see a call as a good choice ?

Your stack will only be slightly harmed by the call. If you connect with the flop then the fear of pairs is lessened.

I admit that I would be tempted to fold or raise all-in but when I think about it a call is not a bad idea ?

--
tjh

[hobbes9324]

I could see calling here.....with a raise in, you have to remember that A-K is a potential hand, not a hand, I think.
If you go all in and get called, you have to hate it.
I'd rather call and hope to hit an A or K and catch the raiser with A-x or KQ or a smaller pair.
This all based on how early it is, of course......

[runner4life7]

I think im going to start doing that more, I leak to much with AK thinking its good when it just cripples me.

[Isura]

I'm learning to call in these types of spots with AK more. But in this case, the open raise was only a minraise, and villain has a big stack, and I see players do this with all kinds of crap at the 10s and 20s like medium pairs and KJs. With this stack, I would raise to 300-350 and try to get this HU. I don't really want to play AK out of position in a big pot against another big stack. If he pushes, I would fold. With 1000 chips I would call, but we have more leverage with 1500 here.

[wildzer0]

I think pushing is ok here, but considering you're against the other big stack I might reraise to 400-500 and see what happens.