AK Preflop Debate

[Chief911]

Matt Matros article in Cardplayer. Good read.

Matros AK article

[yoadrians]

Good article. Reminds me of a thread last night when some newbie was calling 'AK' a 'DRAWING HAND'. He just kept arguing that it was a 'DRAWING HAND' for, like, 2 hours.

Would hope he gets a chance to read this.

[woodguy]

[ QUOTE ]
Would hope he gets a chance to read this.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like my opponents to view AK as a drawing hand who throw it away at the slightest sign of aggression. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Nice link Nick.

Regards,
Woodguy

[Indiana]

Interesting article. This article only discusses cold calling or moving in before the flop. It seems to me that there might be a better option-reraising but not all in...This way when you hit you make more $ from the opponents preflop call and he also may fold from a stop and go on the flop...or do you think he will just get pot committed and we lose fold equity???

Indiana

[slickpoppa]

It's a good article, but the situation that he describes--facing a raiser with 15bb left--is a no brainer. Playing AK with 25-30 blinds is not so easy.

[McMelchior]

Moving all-in with AK has been treated pretty thouroughly in TPFAP. But what to do if I'm the opener?

With 16 BB I open-raise AK 4 x BB from EP and get one caller who has me covered. Flop comes uncoordinated and J hi. A continuation bet of 4 - 5 BB pot would commit me. If I check I'm being bet into for sure.

Check/fold or move in?

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

[durron597]

Check/call push any turn?

[woodguy]

[ QUOTE ]
With 16 BB I open-raise AK 4 x BB from EP

[/ QUOTE ]

Opening for 2.5BB doesn't tie you to the pot as much.

In reference to your question, depending on the opponent I may:

a) continuation bet all in
b) check/ raise all in over a "suspect" bet
c) check/fold (would have to up against a rock for this, but it happens)

Regards,
Woodguy

[McMelchior]

It's not clear to me what I gain from call-pushing-any-turn here as opposed to check-pushing the flop?

Both models offer the opponent better than 3:1 pot odds. At low buy-ins online ($10 - $50) and heavily satellite fed bigger online tourneys I would question if either path is going to discourage more than the most timid players ... could it be +EV to open-push/overbet the flop right away?

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

[Phil2]

Good article...this mirrors the thoughts about AK preflop described in Tournament Poker for Advanced Players , which was an eye-opener for me.