[illmatic]

Wow, please don't fold AK anymore!

I understand your frustration though. AK is a very important hand in hold em, because it's the most common big hand you'll get, and you can earn a lot of money with it, or lose a lot.

Playing AK depends hugely on the texture of the game you're in. I'll mainly address loose NL play, because I think that's the game you're in. In tight games, you play it a whole lot differently. AK in tight games if you raise preflop will limit the field to hands that you have crushed (many), or hands that crush you (AA or KK). So you're in good shape usually by raising preflop.

In loose NL play, I generally will not raise with AK up front. If you're facing a small raise early, I usually just call. Your other option is to re-raise all-in, but the overlay is not there with a small raise if you get called. So I call and see if I get my A or K, you have position on the raiser.

If you're facing a big raise early, you might consider folding if it's a player with good values. Or, you reraise all-in if you might take down the pot. Only AA or KK beats you by much now and the overlay is there to compensate when you're beat a little. In loose games it's not reasonable to think no one will call you though, so I don't do that too often.

This should help with your first scenario, playing AK out of position. I usually don't raise with it out of position in a loose game.

What happens if you got AK early limped and then catch?... Bet! But in loose games, TPTK is a small pot winning hand. You make your money against the other A's with lower kickers. I bet the pot, if you get called then you are probably up against the other ace and you can bet decently the whole way. If you get raised, you are being told that TPTK is no good anymore. Play accordingly, and this may mean fold. Don't put a lot of money in the pot with TPTK in a loose game.

If you have AK and miss -- you have to fold to any decent bet. If you don't raise with AK in EP, it won't cost you much.

Late position, I almost always raise with AK. This will usually A) buy you the button. B) Let you take a free card if you don't hit the flop, or bet if you think the opponents are foldeable. In loose games with lots of callers of your raise who won't fold bottom pair, you may have to just take the free card, even though that pretty much gives away your hand.

Preflop, if you raise and get reraised, I will generally fold AK. I think it's a reraising hand, not a reraise calling hand.

later,
illmatic