AK in the SB

[cornell2005]

nm

[cornell2005]

nm

[cornell2005]

[ QUOTE ]
pushing would be putting 26 into a pot of 3. it's unlikely aq calls here, so you're either slightly behind (qq and below), behind (KK), or totally hosed (AA). or you win a very small pot - i think it's risking too much to win too little. on the other hand, if you think there's a chance AQ or below will call, pushing could be a good play.

[/ QUOTE ]


i agree that pushing is bad. I'm trying to say that raising that much is equally bad or worse, as you pot commit yourself and get into trouble on the flop if you miss. he can win the pot with nothing and you technically dont have odds to call. your arguement there is why i either call or raise less than he did.

[ QUOTE ]


and if they make a pot- or near pot-bet with their missed hand, are you going to call? [that's rhetorical].

[/ QUOTE ]

that arguement is exactly why i dont raise, and in this way pushing is better than raising.


all that being said, i think a reraise that is small enough to not pot stick you if you miss the flop and auto bet it is ok. but its getting into the territory that such a reraise would have to be so small that its almost the same as just calling.

in fact, a small reraise that wont pot commit you after your turn auto bet has disadvantages to just calling, including getting A,x or Kx to pay you off when a K or an A flops. even more strongly, a raise shuts out additional potential callers. you want alot of bad players seeing the flop instead of 1 bad player when you have AK. the more callers, the larger the chance you get paid off all the way with any ace or any king.

in order from best to worst, i say the options are : call, raise small, raise big/push, fold.

[theBruiser500]

Zag, I was just rereading supersystem and Brunsons says this PG. 273 - "If I was in middle position and someone else had brought-it-in...I'd just call with it. I WOULDN'T raise because I'd probably be raising just one man. I'd want at least another player to come in." I've always heard on 2+2 it's so important to isolate with AK, but perhaps this is not the case. What do you think?

BTW, I think it is absolutely wrong to even consider folding AK to a single raise preflop like you described.