Limping with AK?

[robertsonjohn]

Is it ever correct to limp with AKo?

I'm at a live 3-6 table with 9 incredibly loose, any-two-will-do, semi-aggressive players. 9 to the flop with me sitting out is the norm regardless of PF raise (in the last hand I got to play, my QQ lost to 32o who called 2 bets PF without blinking an eye).

I pick up AKo in the small blind with 8 limpers ahead of me. I know that there is no chance of anyone folding to my raise, and I know that AKo is a much better hand against fewer opponents. Moreover, I know that no matter what comes on the flop, someone is going to bet it and at least one other person is going to raise it, so I decide to just call and see what the flop brings first.

Is this an OK move at a table like this in this position, or should you always bet AK for value PF regardless of how many people are in the pot and what your position is?

[Monty Cantsin]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm at a live 3-6 table with 9 incredibly loose, any-two-will-do, semi-aggressive players.

I pick up AKo in the small blind with 8 limpers ahead of me.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is correct to raise in this situation. It is correct, by a large margin, to raise in this situation.

I know that for many people raising here can be stressful. You're out of position, you need to hit the board to win. You're calling attention to yourself by raising, you feel like you're painting a big fat target on your forehead: I GOT GOOD CARDS, SUCK OUT ON ME.

Unfortunately that's just too bad. If you want to play poker well you need to overcome this anxiety and learn to enjoy precisely this situation.

Because enjoying volatile but profitable situations is why you play.

You will face some tricky decisions with this hand against these players, but this is not one of them. Don't get hung up on the easy stuff.

/mc

[Niediam]

You are simply throwing away money by not raising with AK in that situation. You are going to win the pot far more than the additional 10% equity that you are putting into it by raising.

[ThePenguin]

Always raise it. Any two cards are significantly weakend when everyone else plays, but this hand is one of the best. Even if you can't knock anyone out pre-flop, you should be able to reduce the amount of opponents on later streets should you hit

[evain]

I agree. Raise. Let someone else reraise and cap it if they want. The times you flop AKX will make up for the times you fold on the flop by a big margin. Remember, you don't have to win with this hand the majority of times for it to be +EV.

evain

[ayecappy]

someone please make an ak preflop faq and make it sticky or something, i think this has been posted before lol