I need your help - AK, AQ

[Vitaliy]

I know that this topic was discussed millons of times and there are multiple people who struggling with these hands. Bad news for me - I am one of them. AK, AQ my top hands I'm losing money with.

I play at FTilt .5-$1 (100NL) and, as you probably know, game there is quite tight (and only 9 players). Almost no aggression preflop unless monster run into another monster. A lot of games with not raised or only slightly raised pot (3.5-4BB). Can you tell me are there any reason to play AQ and AK differently from AJ (which is BTW profitable hand for me)? Every time I try to play AK and AQ hands aggressively preflop on this site I got called only by pocket pairs and the best normal scenario is they fold after the flop. The worst case: they hit trips or do not beleive my continuation bets. I can fold my AK if I beleive that somebody has better hand, but sometimes it gets really ugly and it makes huge difference (e.g. AK with AKx flop and sombody holding xx). This AK/AQ strategy wins a lot of small pots for me, but loses big.

Is it really true that AK and moreover AQ must be downgraded as recent article in Card Player suggests? Or can you suggest (ot point me to) a NL strategy of how to play AK and AQ?

1. Should I raise AK/AQ from early/mid/late position?
2. Should I raise from late/mid postion with multiple limpers? How hard?
3. Should I reraise from late/mid position?
4. Any diff preflop when hand is suited?
5. After the flop - continuation bets? Basic strategy vs tight players and lose players?
6. Do you have any methods of figuring out that your opponent flopped trips?
7. What bet sizes do you use?

I can post few sample hands I played, so you can criticize my play. But first - may be you know a good theoretical approach on how to play AK/AQ.

Thanks a lot!

[Logik]

1. Should I raise AK/AQ from early/mid/late position?
Yes yes yes

2. Should I raise from late/mid postion with multiple limpers? How hard?
Yes, 4BB + 1BB/limper

3. Should I reraise from late/mid position?
Read-dependent

4. Any diff preflop when hand is suited?
Not really

5. After the flop - continuation bets? Basic strategy vs tight players and lose players?
Tight, and just called your bet: CB
Tight, and re-raised you: Maybe
Loose: CB

6. Do you have any methods of figuring out that your opponent flopped trips?
If he bets, you raise, and he three-bets, you're probably f'd.

7. What bet sizes do you use?
3/4 pot - 1 pot

[Vitaliy]

Hand 1:

Seat 1: $224.90
Seat 2: $100
Seat 3: $65.80
Seat 4: $111.35
Seat 5: $77
Seat 6: $84.20
Seat 7: $17
SB : $139.70
Hero : $77.10
SB posts the small blind of $0.50
Hero posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #7
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]]
Seat 1 folds
Seat 2,3 call $1
Seat 4,5,6 folds
Seat 7 calls $1
SB $0.50
Hero raises to $5
Seat 2 calls $4
Seat 3 folds
Seat 7 calls $4
SB folds
*** FLOP *** [4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]]
Hero bets $17
Seat 2 calls $17
Seat 7 folds
*** TURN *** [4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] [4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]]

What should I do here?

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand 2:

SB: ($63.45)
BB: ($93.30)
Seat 3: ($21.75)
Seat 4: ($22.05)
Seat 5: ($137.90)
Seat 6: ($21.40)
Hero: ($86.15)
Seat 8: ($88)
Seat 9: ($63)
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]]
Seat 3-6 fold
Hero raises to $3.50
Seat 8-SB fold
BB calls $2.50
*** FLOP *** [8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]]
BB checks
Hero bets $8
BB calls $8
*** TURN *** [8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]] [4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]]
BB bets $16

Hero?

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hand 3:

Seat 1: ($73.95)
Seat 2: ($118.30)
Seat 3: ($50.80)
SB : ($215.10)
BB : ($198.20)
Hero : ($125)
Seat 7: ($19.80)
Seat 8: ($97.50)
Seat 9: ($90.20)
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]]
Hero raises to $3.50
Seat 7-9 fold
Seat 1 calls $3.50
Everybody fold
*** FLOP *** [5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]]
Hero bets $5
Seat 1 raises to $10
Hero raises to $15
Seat 1 calls $5
*** TURN *** [5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]] [9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]]

Hero?

[Logik]

1 pot
2 push
3 dont minraise

1. Played as I would so far. The pot is around $50, you have $50? I push here. If he has a set, bad luck but I'd expect to see another Ace, most often with a weaker kicker.

2. So far so good. I call and see what happens on the river. Another pot-size bet from the villain and I fold unimproved. He could have 67s

3. I'd slow down after being raised on the flop. A flush draw is a possibility but with the A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] out less likely. AK, AQ, AJ, AT are my favorites here and you are behind 2 ahead 1 and level the other. Call the flop, lead the turn for 2/3 pot and fold to any further aggression, unimproved.

How many hands you have on AK/AQ? I have 60 AKs, 190 AKo. I'm losing fractionally on AKs and up 1 bb on AKo. I can't think I play AKs a great deal differently and all other things being equal I'd expect to be winning more. I'm putting it down to variance.

[Vitaliy]

Thanks for your response. With a little bit variance that's how I play it most of the time.

I guess my biggest problem so far is figuring out when I am beaten. Like you mentioned in (6) 3rd bet from the opponent gives idea that I am behind in the hand, but what call tells?
I found that after putting standard CB about half size of the pot I have to give up my hand to any aggression cause it doesn't provide me with necessary information. Pot sized bet on the contrary is much more dangerous, cause it must win much more pots right away to be good CB strategy.

[Vitaliy]

1. So push is justified? What if I have a read about my oponent? Lets say he is a very very tight player.

2. You call the river. The river is another A. He pushes. Your actions?

3. I bet $20. Obviously against your suggestion but still. He called. River is another A. He has 35 left.

[Vitaliy]

See my comments to mikechops.

[Vitaliy]

Missed your question about hand count. Same sampling size as yours, 70 sutied, 200 off suit. Same thing for AQ.

1 yes push. You are most often ahead and you don't want to be outdrawn by a flush draw. Any smaller bet and you commit yourself anyway.

2 Yuck... another AQ, 67s or a set? ... His push is equivalent to a pot bet?... I'd like to say I'd fold this but in the heat of battle...

3 River check/call. Pot too big to fold, but I'm still worried.

I have read here that beginners do overplay TPTK and I've been working on avoiding being stacked with them. But if you lost all these hands you have had some tough cards.

I suspect both our samples sizes are too small to make definitive judgements on. It only takes a few tough hands to throw everything off. My KQs is twice as profitable as QQ, but I can't imagine I'm playing QQ so badly that variance isn't the explanation.