General question: AK in the BB vs a lot of limpers?

[FourKing Hell]

In my example I was playing a 5/10 game on Prima. Actually it was four limpers to me and the SB, and a pot-size raise would have been 60 more. I made it 90 more.

[FourKing Hell]

So if there's a limper in who's liable to play back at me I should just check and hope for a big hand, or a small pot with an A or K? I like to do that with AKs - although I probably like it even better to raise to 30 or so - but I figure with AKo I can't be much of a money favorite in the hand unless I hit at least two pair. Or am I being too scared here?

And about defining my opponent's hands - by the time I make a big raise, I'd probably define them down to the hands that beat me if I don't hit - and can't be bluffed or they wouldn't be stupid enough to call in the first place, with average stack sizes being around 1000, and will fold if I hit. So.. a smaller raise?

[FourKing Hell]

Although it'd be kinda nice if they did, I don't really see an AJ or 44 calling for 10BB. And I don't see any big pair calling and then folding whíthout the set - assuming 100BB stacks (I play online) and taking into account the possibility of losing to a bigger set, it would be dumb to call just for set value.

So basically at the time I made the play I was hoping they'd fold, and prepared to give up if someone called and I didn't improve.

[FourKing Hell]

I will muck AJ to any reasonable size reraise just as easily as I would J4. In this particular situation, against a solid player, I'd probably dump AK as well and think real hard about KK. It's not the reraise I'm afraid of - it's the call. And that's why I doubt this is the best way to play AK. With AJ, any action other than fold and I'm done. The problem with getting called is that I wouldn't be able to confidently bet any flop. No A or K and I'd have to give up. If I pair, I'd probably still check it down and either win some bluff-money or pay of AA or a set.

When making that play with a lesser holding, you're basically hoping the money you win if they fold makes up for the times you get called and expect to lose the pot.

Maybe that is profitable, if you play tight and have a tight image, but is it the MOST +EV way to play AK?

[Kaz The Original]

I prefer to do it with J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (suits being important) and AA KK only.

[gomberg]

that's not balanced enough. 1 time you have Jc7c, the other 12 times you AA or KK. I'm still folding to your raises there [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]