First Final Table!
 

Well after a few ITM finishes, finally made my 1st final table at last nights $20+2 Limit on Party. Early in tournament, was down to my last 200 chips when blinds were 200-400. Went all-in 3x in a row and won all 3. Got lucky, ended up finishing in 7th.

My question concerns playing AK at the final table. I got dealt this hand 3x in my last 4 hands, and lost all 3. In all 3 cases, I called a raise (blinds were 4000-8000). Once the guy had KK, once lost to 55, and the third was just a bad beat (AK vs. A5, 5 on the river to knock me out of the tournament).

Was I too aggressive with AK in this spot? I know AK is a raising hand, so I figured calling one raise with AK is always the right percentage play - but maybe I'm wrong. The blinds were so big that those 3 losses wiped out my stack. Should I think about folding AK in spots like this? 2 of the raisers were short stacks who I figured might raise with anything. The KK was the big stack, I think that's the one I probably should have folded.

Re: First Final Table!
 

No.
AK is usually a big hand at the final table with antes/short stacks, etc. It gets bigger as more players are eliminated and the blinds fly around.

You can go hours without picking up a hand, I would be happy to pick up AK three times at a final table and take my chances.



You need to be more carefull with it early in the tourn.

Re: First Final Table!
 

[ QUOTE ]
I know AK is a raising hand, so I figured calling one raise with AK is always the right percentage play - but maybe I'm wrong. The blinds were so big that those 3 losses wiped out my stack. Should I think about folding AK in spots like this? 2 of the raisers were short stacks who I figured might raise with anything. The KK was the big stack, I think that's the one I probably should have folded.


[/ QUOTE ]

Depending on your position, but in a limit tourney I'm re-raising the initial PF raiser every time, especially at these blinds.

I'm doing this to not give odds to anyone behind me, espcially the BB coming along on a flat call.

The raise also defines your hand better. This may have helped chase the A5 and 55 with continuation bets on the flop (although if they are short stacked they are probably coming all the way), and in the case of the KK may have re-raised PF (although with AK in my hand I probably lean towards QQ or another AK if he re-raises me) and you may have put him on a big pair earlier and bailed.

Regards,
Woodguy