AK off - PP 6 Max NL $0.50 BB

[jac394]

<font color="blue">I think that I played the hand fairly well, but have highlighted one thing I wish I would have done differently. The button had been fairly aggressive, and had shown A-any on over 10% of the hands at this table. Seemed to be very aggressive (but I did not have notes on this player and this was only the 40th hand we had played together)</font>

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (6 max, 6 handed)

SB ($128.08)
BB ($148.20)
Hero ($19.25)
MP ($29.10)
CO ($20.65)
Button ($57.93)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="CC3333">Hero raises to $2</font>, MP folds, CO folds, <font color="CC3333">Button raises to $3.5</font>, SB folds, BB folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to $19.25 (All-In)</font>, Button calls $15.75.

<font color="blue">I think I should have probably just called the pre-flop raise from the button and then pushed after the flop.</font>

Flop: ($39.25) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Turn: ($39.25) Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

River: ($39.25) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: $39.25

<font color="blue">I'm interested if anyone would have called the pre flop raise and then tried to check it out to see as many cards as possible for free (or cheaply)? That is also an option, but because I had bad position, I really wanted to win the pot with my all-in bet pre flop. I thought he was trying to buy the pot, and put him on A - lower kicker, but suited. (Button was in almost every pot - won $ in 13, lost $ in 21 out of 40) Button was not normally real aggressive pre-flop.

Tell me how I could have played this better</font>

[Robk]

You did right IMO. Waiting until the flop has many drawbacks when you are out of position, especially with an easily readable hand.

If he has AX, many flops will come which leave him with 0-3 outs which he can get away from. Even bad players will have a hard time calling off their whole stack with no pair on most boards.

If he has a pocket pair, now the A and K high flops may scare him as most put you on AK after raising early then calling the small reraise.

If he has garbage, now he really can't call on most flops. But he's not that big of an underdog to you, and you give him a free shot to beat you by just calling.

I really don't like calling and then checking the flop. Against some players this might be right but against this guy it sounds like your hand is a good favorite (especially considering the dead money). Playing that way you set yourself to get run off/ give him free cards when ahead, and get milked when behind.