AK in the big blind

incognito · #1 06-09-2003, 12:40 AM

Online tournament. I am in approximately 10th place out of 50 remaining players. Top 30 spots pay. I have AKo in the big blind and there are four limpers before the small blind completes. I have the biggest stack at the table. What do I do with my hand?

I contemplated raising all in, hoping that no one would call and picking up a pot equal to about a quarter of my stack. But I wussed out and just checked to see what the flop brought. What would others have done?

sdplayerb · #2 06-09-2003, 12:45 AM

could you please tell us what the blinds were and how many chips you had?

I would definitely raise though to between 7x the bb and pushing in.

incognito · #3 06-09-2003, 12:49 AM

Blinds were 200-400, my stack is around 7000, the largest at the table by a small margin.

DoctorJ · #4 06-09-2003, 04:46 AM

What's your table image? What is the quality of the other players who limped? How big are the stacks of the limpers? How many do you think are likely to call if you raise it about the pot, or 6-7 times the BB?

I think that's probably the play here, unless you want to go into a shell and try to sneak in the money. Really depends on your goal, but I would certainly raise it.

As an aside, I actually think it's more dangerous to call with AKo here - if you're not going to raise, you're better off folding. You're unlikely to know where you are if anyone pushes you on the flop - you've allowed a host of two pair/set/straight/flush draws from 4 limpers, and that's if you even hit the flop with an ace or king. If you miss (as you will more often than not), you're almost certainly behind at least one of the limpers...

Just my 2 cents...

DoctorJ

Legend27 · #5 06-09-2003, 06:28 AM

Make the worse hands pay. If you think you have a better hand than the limpers then punish them. Raise at least 1/2 the size of the pot. If you raise all-in here you probably won't get a caller (which isn't a bad thing) and if you get a caller you it's probably just a short stack that couldn't wait around any longer and you'd probably have them beat any way.

incognito · #6 06-09-2003, 02:57 PM

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
What's your table image? What is the quality of the other players who limped? How big are the stacks of the limpers? How many do you think are likely to call if you raise it about the pot, or 6-7 times the BB?

[/ QUOTE ]

My image should be pretty tight, but it's online so you never know how much people are paying attention. The limpers' stacks are between 3000 and 6000 vs. my 7000. I'd anticipate between 0 and 2 callers if I made any kind of substantial raise.

The reason I didn't go this route is because I'd be completely unsure how to continue if, for example, I got one caller and the flop came, say, JQ6... I've got nothing, but it's likely that he's got at least a pair (pocket pair or otherwise...) That's why I considered raising all-in... At least I wouldn't have been faced with a situation I didn't know how to handle. How would you proceed in the situation described above? If I bet the flop, I'm pretty sure (based on their previous play) that anyone who called preflop will come along, so what then?

ohkanada · #7 06-09-2003, 03:40 PM

A pot sized raise would be making it 2600. I might make it 1800. If I get called and the flop is QJ3 then depending on the opponent I would decide. The fewer the chips left the more likely I go all-in on the flop. If a bigger stack calls then it is decision time.

Ken Poklitar

Greg (FossilMan) · #8 06-09-2003, 03:43 PM

Given the stack sizes, I see two viable options here. One is to check and see the flop. Unless you flop something, you're almost certainly done with the hand. Minimum risk to your stack this way, but also lowers your EV.

Other option is to go all-in. Normally you might raise the pot, but that is something like 1/3 to 2/3 of anybody else's stack anyway, which means you aren't folding postflop no matter what comes, so you might as well put them to a tougher decision now. Also, unless the first limper was trapping with AA or KK, there is zero chance you're dominated in this hand, and a great chance to pick up T2000 without any chance of being outflopped.

If you get one caller with a worse hand, that's fine also.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)