Even though I won, did I play this hand correctly

[TennLawyer]

Paradise Poker, .10/.25 NL game ($25 max), I am on the button with AK suited with $23. There had been quite a bit of preflop raising. Two limpers then the player two to my right bets $1.50, I raise to $3.00. Raiser has $21 total. Everyone folds, he reraises to $6.00. My thought process at this point was either to raise all-in or fold. I decided to put him all in as the only hand that would have me dominated is AA. I was worried about KK, but also thought he could have a hand as bad as JJ, QQ, or AQ. Well, he called and turned over KK. Turn brought the ace and I won the hand. Is moving all in preflop with this hand the right play?

[KenProspero]

Here's my thoughts.

Assuming that the raiser is relatively loose (or you don't have evidence that he's a rock), You're way behind if he has AA or KK (AA being the worst obviously), Tied with AK, Essentially tied with any pocket pair, and pretty solidly ahead if he holds anything else.

My best guess would that he's holding some kind of a pair. Though in a real loose game AQ or AJ wouldn't shock me (to be honest, A8s wouldn't exactly shock me either in a loose game).

Given this, if Opponent bet all in, I think I'd have to call. I might raise another $5 or 10, which, if I've done quick math correctly, a $10 bet makes it wrong for a pure drawing JTs to stay in here. However, since at that stage, I'm committed if he calls all-in, I can't criticize your all-in.

(Disclaimer -- I'm a relative novice, so take this with a grain of salt).

[SheridanCat]

Hmmm, his min reraise is fishy to me. I would expect a pair JJ or worse to call wanting to see a flop. That reraise smells like a trap being set to me.

If he has AA, you're dead to two kings. Very slim for you.

If he has KK, you have 3 outs and maybe a couple outs for the flush possibility.

If he has QQ, you have 6 outs and maybe a couple for the flush. QQ is a slight favorite

I don't like to overplay AK, even suited, in NL because after the flop there's an excellent chance you'll just have AK and no help. Postflop play in NL is probably my weak point, so this could just be my problem.

I think I'd fold to the reraise.

Regards,

T

[GvegasTiger]

I would have played based on his play before this hand. It depends on the type of player he is. Is he loose or tight? If he plays tight I would have folded based solely on my figuring that he had KK, AA which leaves me with 3 outs plus a flush/straight possibility. If he's loose than I figure he's got QQ or KQ or worse and is reraising to try to bully me into folding.

But there is a reason I'm posting on a beginners board...I dont know very much [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[djhoneybear]

My thinking in this situation is that unless he has AA or KK you can expect he has a pair of something. Against most pairs you are about even but these all come down to coin flip situations. Against KK you were lucky to win. If you take your AK all-in against KK you will lose the majority of the time. The question becomes, how well do I know my opponent and do I want to put all my money in the pot when I'm around 50/50 to win. The pot odds and your chances are about even (not with KK but with most of the other pairs) and the pot is offering you similar odds. Its basically betting even money on a coin flip - something I would generally try and avoid.

So the thing to realize is that even if he didn't have KK (which dominates your hand) but had QQ or JJ, its still not the right move to go all-in. His thinking was probably, "I have a monster and don't want to scare everyone off but want to bet for value, I'll raise the minimum." When you reraise him he probably thinks, "I have KK and its unlikely he has AA. If he has any lower pair or AK I am in great shape." You played into his hands and got lucky. Raising all-in wasn't the greatest move. Calling to see the flop would have been smarter. The only time you would fold is if you knew he had AA.

[amoeba]

if you know he has KK, you can also fold as stacks are short enough to where you don't have implied odds to flop an A or a flush/straight.

That said, I would like OP to explain his reasoning for reraising to $3 with AK in the first place.

[Stork]

You pushed all in when you expected any hand he'd call you with to be ahead of yours. No, I'd say you didn't play this hand correctly. I would just call the reraise preflop.