$55 - LEVEL 1 - AK - UTG ** Let's talk strategy

[Scuba Chuck]

<font color="blue"> Let's talk strategy for once. Here's the setup.... </font>

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed) converter

SB (t985)
BB (t1955)
Hero (t970)
UTG+1 (t825)
MP1 (t830)
MP2 (t960)
MP3 (t1320)
CO (t975)
Button (t1180)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
Hero ....


<font color="blue">Part 1:
OK, I'm interested in hearing different ways in which to play this hand. Limp? Raise (how much)? If you're raised, what's your line? Whichever direction you take, talk about your subsequent strategy on the flop. (For this section, ignore the flop below.)

Also, if you intend to talk about more than one strategy, open up a new post. </font>


Flop: (XXXXXXX) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]


<font color="blue">Part 2:
Ok, let's assume this is the flop.
Assumptions:
If you limped, there is 4 people in the pot with you.

If you raised, assume there is 3 people in the pot with you.

Depending on how your line went above, continue to follow that line, and discuss how your strategy is unfolding, or how it's changing.
</font>


Flop: (XXXXXXX) K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

<font color="blue">Part 3:
Ok, let's assume this is the flop.
Assumptions:
If you limped, there is 4 people in the pot with you.

If you raised, assume there is 3 people in the pot with you.

Depending on how your line went above, continue to follow that line, and discuss how your strategy is unfolding, or how it's changing.
</font>

[EverettKings]

[ QUOTE ]
Preflop: Hero is UTG with A, K.
Hero ....

[/ QUOTE ]
Raises to t60-t80
If reraised, call and check/fold a bad flop.
If called by 1 player, lead out any flop for 1/2 to 2/3 pot. If called by 2+, bet 1/2 to 2/3 on a good flop, check/fold a bad one. In all those cases where I bet a missed flop and get called or raised, shut down.

[ QUOTE ]

Flop: (XXXXXXX) 9, T, 5 (rainbow)

If you limped, there is 4 people in the pot with you.


[/ QUOTE ]
Then I check and fold unless I see and hit a free turn.
[ QUOTE ]

If you raised, assume there is 3 people in the pot with you.


[/ QUOTE ]
As stated in part 1, I'm done with the hand.


[ QUOTE ]

Flop: (XXXXXXX) K s, T s, 3 x

Part 3:
Ok, let's assume this is the flop.
Assumptions:
If you limped, there is 4 people in the pot with you.

If you raised, assume there is 3 people in the pot with you.


[/ QUOTE ]

Either way bet out about 2/3 of the pot. If raised it gets tricky, but otherwise keep betting for value. I probably wouldn't limp this hand unless I were playing a 109+ (and even then only on occasion), in which case I'd either lead the flop and check the turn, or checkraise the flop.

These strategies are general and vary with reads, but given the stack sizes and level 1 this is how I play with no reads.

-Kings

[Afterh0urs]

Part 1:

I limp, to get a feeling on the hands that are going to act behind me. I have a better chance of having a lesser Ace raise me if he is able to enter with a raise rather than coldcalling.

If I raise, I'm going to have to play out of position vs. unknown hands. Many times flops have come K high and I find myself betting my chips into someone who called me with 33 and hit their set.

AK is a drawing hand and I don't want to play big pots with it early, especially out of position.

If I miss the flop, I check/fold. If I hit my A or K, I check/call, hopefully getting the lesser Ace to prod along, where I'll checkraise the turn.

Part 2:

If I limped, I'm giving up and check folding. Hell, even if I raised, I'm check folding. Obviously, if a Level 1 UTG raiser is getting 3 callers, this is a loose table and I prefer to take advantage of that with a made hand in position later on rather than firing out into the unknown early on.

K9, KT, JQ are all possibilities that loose callers play therre and any of them have me in bad enough shape for me to choose to step aside.

Part 3:

I'm checkcalling the flop here. My thoughts are that anyone loose enough to enter the pot with a hand that gains its strength from a straight/flush draw and hit that flop will also be too loose to lay it down to a showing of strength on the flop. Since they're going to be coming along, I'll give up the free card. If the flush/straight hits, I'm usually checking and then calling or folding depending on the strength shown. Otherwise I'm leading out allin and letting them chase at the reduced odds having one card left to hit gives them.

[mybrainssore]

limping AK UTG is giving up way too much EV...

[Nicok7]

In your example you only have 800 left so it is not a time to fool around and alow limpers to get in cheap and get our stack wounded. AK plays well against 1 or 2 players, so let's play it normally once the blinds are small.

I will raise about 75-100, wich avoids bad spots out of position: if I get 3 callers and miss the flop I know better than not to continue with my hand, someone with PP (whether it is an overpair or not) or with TPTK will likely call or worse, raise! Plus it is not unlikely that fish with a pair and a A or a K has me seriously beaten here.

PS : If you do limp then a pot sized bet might be a consideration, but this early I would check and fold any reasonable bet.

[Afterh0urs]

800 chips is still sufficient in Level 1. I really don't see your point in betting 100 chips preflop to play a pot where you're going to be way out of position without a made hand. Raising AK in this way in the early levels is an ego play, IMO, because the cards are too pretty to let go.

If you're going to let it go to a bet on the flop, then raising to 100 is just spewing chips. If you're going to raise, raise to 45, but I still stand by limping as the best play.

[J-Lo]

[ QUOTE ]
If the flush/straight hits, I'm usually checking and then calling or folding depending on the strength shown. Otherwise I'm leading out allin and letting them chase at the reduced odds having one card left to hit gives them.

[/ QUOTE ]

So, you limp preflop, check-call flop, and then push on blank turn? isn't that giving away alot money? Is anyone u beat gona call?

Limp 15
check/call bet 55
push 920 chips on turn...

[Afterh0urs]

Perhaps, but AK early out of position isn't exactly the nuts, so I don't play it as such. I want to play a small pot with it and am not willing to risk my tournament to some idiot who is calling with a straight/flush draw, as I know there will be TONS of better spots down the line.

[1C5]

Anyone else, what about your Chuck? Some good info can be had if this post gets going a bit.

[Sluss]

Sit #1 - This looks like a loose table. So how has it been loose? Lots of callig? or Is there a table sheriff who doesn't like people limping into their pots? If there has been lots of calling I just limp. If there is a good shot the button or BB is going to come over the top of me I might raise it to 50 then push to their re-raise.

sit #2 is almost always a check fold in level 1

sit #3 I'd probably lead out with about a 1/2 pot bet. Then judge the action from there.