I Know This Has Been Discussed A Lot...

bluewilde · #1 07-08-2005, 11:30 PM

but I'm still not sure about what to do with AK.

1) How's my reraise here? With a minraiser and a bunch of callers, I wanted to issolate (good idea?). Is it too agressive/anti-survival to be putting 1/4 of my stack on the line for AK so early (this is level 1)?

2) When this guy comes over the top of me, I'm pretty sure I'm not dominating an AJ or AQ, but there's a chance. Maybe we're tied, but I'm thinking 66-QQ (prolly not AA or KK because of how he opens). I call because of the advice on the forums about trying to get your money in preflop with AK, but have I grossly misapplied it?

3)When villian flips QQ, I'm fairly content. That's a bit stronger than I expected, but i have two live cards. Should I not be happy with his having QQ or any pair for that matter? Should I only be getting my money in the pot preflop with AK when I think I'm dominating? Or do I play it like I did and ride it out against PPs?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter

MP1 (t770)
MP2 (t770)
MP3 (t385)
CO (t730)
Hero (t955)
SB (t785)
BB (t800)
UTG (t785)
UTG+1 (t760)
UTG+2 (t1260)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls t15, 1 fold, UTG+2 raises to t30, MP1 calls t30, 1 fold, MP3 calls t30, 1 fold, Hero raises to t180, 2 folds, UTG folds, UTG+2 raises to t1260 (All-In), MP1 folds, MP3 folds, Hero calls t775 (All-In).

Flop: (t2315) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: (t2315) 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: (t2315) 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players, 2 all-in)

Final Pot: t2315

Thanks,

Blue

lastchance · #2 07-08-2005, 11:36 PM

1) It's not terrible. I mean, I might just call with position here, but reraising to isolate sounds pretty good.

2) Meh, All-in from you is way better than this. Opponent has better be pushing AQ for you to call here. I don't know why you think 66 is more likely than AQ though... Once he pushes, I bet you're in the 40-50% range..

3) 40/60 early isn't profitable for you. 60/40 is, but 40/60 isn't...

kasey2004 · #3 07-08-2005, 11:37 PM

What buy in is this ?

[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] Kasey [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Mr_J · #4 07-08-2005, 11:52 PM

"Is it too agressive/anti-survival to be putting 1/4 of my stack on the line for AK so early (this is level 1)?"

I think so.

"When villian flips QQ, I'm fairly content."

Why?

"Or do I play it like I did and ride it out against PPs?"

No you don't wanna go up against PPs for all of your stack preflop. You don't want to take coinflips for your stack early on in the sng. You should only race with AK if you think there is a good chance that you dominate.

You wanted to isolate or take down the pot with your reraise, I think you could've done the job with less, say 120.

AA-KK is often minraised at lower buyins. What does his minraise accomplish? It's not going to convince anyone to fold, but it will make the pot a little more valuable (ie he wants to build the pot while not scaring anyone away). Your reraise says your serious so I'd give him credit for a strong PP for coming over the top.

bluewilde · #5 07-09-2005, 12:05 AM

it's a $10+1 (party)

bluewilde · #6 07-09-2005, 12:09 AM

To both lastchance and Mr J,

Thanks for a) being so clear and b) explaining the logic. This is is exactly the kind of concise/definite answer I was looking for. Just needed to hear from people who'd already been down this road and seen what works. So I'm hearing:

-reraise to issolate is the right idea, but I was a bit enthusiastic with 180
-don't let your tournament life ride on coin-flips early on (which is applied as: fold)

So I don't necissarily want the reverse? Calling all-in TT-QQ when I think I'm against AK/AQ would put me in a similar race, and this violates the avioding coin-flips principle?

Thanks again!

Blue