Case of checking AK is good?
 

Is this a good spot to check AK with a bunch of limpers? Note: this is not a bad beat post and a complaint, I got no play back when I bet the flop. But I always wonder when I get AK in the SB and BB at an early point in the the tournament. What generally would the best play be?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Button (t1125)
SB (t2375)
Hero (t1315)
UTG (t1115)
UTG+1 (t1718)
MP1 (t1860)
MP2 (t1395)
MP3 (t2117)
CO (t2270)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls t30, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, CO calls t30, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB completes, Hero checks.

Flop: (t120) A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t150</font>, UTG+1 folds, CO folds, SB folds.

Final Pot: t270

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

I like leading. I might not bet as much, but basically if
someone has an Ace they'll call, if not they all fold unless there's a flush draw. Nothing worse than checking and a third diamond comes and your action is now killed.

Some people claim that if you check and a King comes you'll make some money off of a KJ, but I think you'll win a bigger pot in general if you lead. I like leading and then
checkraising the turn. I of course look like an idiot if it's checked back to me, but if I make a smaller flop bet
I can generally count on someone betting the turn for me.

Bruce

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

bruce,

I was actually talking about preflop, if I should check the AK or raise to 150 preflop. Interesting analysis though.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

I'd raise virtually every time. You have the best hand, albeit the worst position. You'll flop something a large percentage of the time so you'll win a bigger pot in general. Just don't marry AKs.

At this stage you're not trying to steal the blinds, you're trying to win big pots and build big pots. Raising with a premium hand helps to accomplish this. Even if you don't flop anything, your preflop raise might be able to buy you
the pot if noone else flopped anything either.

Bruce

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

Cool. I remember Gigabet or somebody discussing certain spots when to limp or check AK. Anybody have a link?

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

no, this is a v easy raise preflop.
i dont know anything about gigabet's post, but there are lots of spots where i would limp w/ AK, but less where i would check in the blind...
this particular hand is such an ez raise.. you are fvcking suited!

also, youre flop bet is HUGE... what the heck are u doing?

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

I do this with AQo preflop sometimes. Sometimes AK though, especially in the lower blind levels. You can get alot of chips off some medium, unsuspecting ace.

I like the way you played it, just don't play it like the all the time obviously.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

whats with the flop overbet?

we had a similar thread in the SNG forum recently (obviously the stacks are somewhat more shallow there, but whatever), and the general consensus seemed to be that its ok, sometimes. i'm not sure if the chip accumulation aspect of tourneys demands a raise here.

/end unhelpful post

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

In this spot I like the check or maybe a sweetner raise. Its early on, and I dont want to get tangled onto a hand and be forced to fire 2 barrels to get out of it. You definitley reduce your chances of going broke early on if you check or make a small raise.

On the flop, lead t100. I lead t100 70% of the time and check the other 30%.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

dont check ace king in the big blind

Stop making retarded overbets.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

horrible, horrible play. bad check preflop. bad overbet postflop. but look at it this way, you took down a HUGE pot.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

[ QUOTE ]
you took down a HUGE pot.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol.

In case you misunderstoon gators, he is saying that the way you played this hand ensured that you would either lose a big pot or win a small one.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

I find the dangers of slowplaying big hands like this always ends up smacking me square in the face. Raise preflop, don't let weaker hands see a cheap flop and outflop you. Hands like A3 and 83 probably won't call a preflop raise but if you let them in here for cheap you can easily end up beat and losing most of your stack. I'd rather win a small pot here and get on to the next hand than lose half my stack against a blind who outflopped me.

Do you generally beleive a blind who check-raises 2 pair on the flop versus your TPTK AK? How often do you get away from that situation? That's exactly my point....

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

I haven't read responses...

[ QUOTE ]
Is this a good spot to check AK with a bunch of limpers?


[/ QUOTE ]

You should never check AK. Ever. Not even HU at the FT.

Would you check AA-TT with 3 limpers to you? No... So why would you check AK?

I don't understand what would make you think it's a good idea to check it because there's MORE limpers. You want to isolate with AK just like any other group 1. Allowing more people into the pot means more people are likely to spike two pair on the flop when you make TPTK. That's bad. Dont let the blinds have a free chance to suck out on you. It's a group 1, give it credit.

You got *very* lucky that someone didn't make a set, or two pair. Don't EVER not raise AK again. Play AK the way it should be played, and be happy with the action you get.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

i will check AJo here. definitely not AKs.

limpers, im going to punish them with AKs. level 1, someone raises UTG+1 is a different situation, and ill flat call there, but here, definitely raise it up.

also, whats up with the flop bet? do you routinely overbet into the field from the blinds?

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

My table had been playing loose so I expected if someone had hit an ace, and there were 3 limpers in the pot, to potentially do that, that they would call. I would have gotten at least 150 chips out of them.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

It MIGHT have been a good move if it was already heads up and you were going to slowplay it after the flop. You probably would have gotten a caller or 2 if you raised before the flop but with your play they all folded to your bet after the flop.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

While maybe it is incorrect to say you should NEVER check AK, it should definitely be a rarity.

Case in point: At a recent tournament, I held 4-5D in SB. Six people limped in! (yes, it was an online tournament) $50 to me, pot is $450, so why not, one more limper won't hurt. Flop was A-2-3 D. Turn was K of something, river was another K. One guy limped in with AK and paid dearly.

Ok so it was a freak hand, but why risk it? Get the mediocre hands (and the total crap ones like mine here)out of there.... RAISE

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Would you check AA-TT with 3 limpers to you?

[/ QUOTE ]

checking TT is my standard, i might also check JJ.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Would you check AA-TT with 3 limpers to you?

[/ QUOTE ]

checking TT is my standard, i might also check JJ.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dislike.

Re: Case of checking AK is good?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Would you check AA-TT with 3 limpers to you?

[/ QUOTE ]

checking TT is my standard, i might also check JJ.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dislike.

[/ QUOTE ]

I concur.


You would check JJ with 3 limpers to you, in the BB? I don't understand why you'd ever want to do this. Especially b/c you have the worst position. This is a 4x the bb MINIMUM raise for me. Generally same thing for 10s. I check 9s tho.

Then again, you are a far more experianced and probably better all around player than me. I don't understand though.