How's this AK line?

SonOfWestwood · #1 06-01-2005, 08:17 PM

As always, trying to improve my AK play...

MP1 just sat down a few hands ago with a $10 buy in and posted the BB at the CO, so nothing on him except that.

How are the pre-flop and flop calls? Is the flop call a too reckless without any sort of read? I was planning on raising any flop bet he made. His huge overbet made me think mid-pair or flush draw, wanting to take it down right there.

Any comments appreciated.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (10 handed) converter

UTG ($9.79)
UTG+1 ($5.05)
UTG+2 ($17.1)
MP1 ($9.5)
MP2 ($19.5)
Hero ($24.5)
CO ($23.2)
Button ($44.1)
SB ($33.85)
BB ($22.55)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.1.
UTG calls $0.25, 1 fold, UTG+2 calls $0.25, MP1 raises to $1.5, 1 fold, Hero calls $1.50, CO calls $1.50, 3 folds, UTG calls $1.25, UTG+2 folds.

Flop: ($6.60) 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (4 players)
UTG checks, MP1 calls $8 (All-In), Hero calls $8, CO folds, UTG folds.

Turn: ($22.60) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($22.60) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $22.60

Results in white below: 
MP1 has 9c 9s (two pair, nines and fours).
Hero has Ks Ah (two pair, kings and fours).
Outcome: Hero wins $22.60.

imported_anacardo · #2 06-01-2005, 08:24 PM

Preflop I'd consider a reraise, though that' not going to fly with many of the other posters here. The hell with them, though; you need to thin this thing out. Make it $5 to go or fold, I think. If a decent-sized stack moves in on you here, I think you can muck without regrets.

Postflop: You kiddin'? Short stack moves in and you've made the hand you wanted. I call 100% of the time here and expect to come out way ahead.

the machine · #3 06-01-2005, 08:24 PM

if you have no read then find out where you are at. youre only a big dog to aa or kk and dominating any other ace. a raise may get him off a middle pair but if it doesnt then its still a coin flip. ak is very hard to play preflop but i try to raise alot with it to possibly save me bets on later streets. post flop you have tptk you have to call since you have no read and his over bet was all in so you cant take it down right there you can only call and hope your hand holds up

SonOfWestwood · #4 06-02-2005, 11:01 AM

I sometimes do re-raise with AK, actually, to give me a better idea of where I am. The main reason I didn't in this case is that I figured if I re-raised there was a decent chance the original raiser would push with his smallish stack, almost forcing me to call, getting something like 3:1 odds, and I don't like the idea of calling all-ins w/ AK pre-flop.

Or should I be okay with calling pre-flop all-ins in situations like this?

jacknine · #5 06-02-2005, 11:14 AM

A lovely play on the flop - I´d probably have raised there but I think your play is much better.
Great flop to your hand too .. Though I´d have definetely raised here to make sure UTG & CO would fold.

sourbeaver · #6 06-02-2005, 11:19 AM

I like preflop. Without a read that warns me otherwise, I reraise this flop all-in (I want to shut down draws behind me, or be glad some clumsy-king calls). At 25NL, I'm usually happy with TPTK.

With semi-thinking players (not the case here [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]), you'd have to be careful because there are still 2 players left to act behind you, and you could get in trouble.

fuzzbox · #7 06-02-2005, 11:25 AM

.... well played .... problem ?

fuzzbox · #8 06-02-2005, 11:28 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I like preflop. Without a read that warns me otherwise, I reraise this flop all-in (I want to shut down draws behind me, or be glad some clumsy-king calls). At 25NL, I'm usually happy with TPTK.

With semi-thinking players (not the case here [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]), you'd have to be careful because there are still 2 players left to act behind you, and you could get in trouble.

[/ QUOTE ]

Reraising this flop all-in is highly dangerous. You dont mind too much if drawers come along because you have the A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] so will have a redraw on the turn if a [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] does hit. What you are most afraid of, is one of the guys behind you waking up and pushing (or in your case, calling your push). The bet is strong enough to charge any draws for playing any further, no need to push here I feel.

sourbeaver · #9 06-02-2005, 11:45 AM

Money already in the pot and implied odds make it correct for a draw to call the flop, getting roughly 3:1 no his money, plus a serious option on both player's stacks if he hits since they bet so strong on the flop.

Anyway, am I the only one havign a hard time folding this if a player behind pushes after I've called 8$ ? You're only left with a pot bet on the turn (or sub-pot) and there are many cards you wouldn't like to see. I prefer pushing.

It's not an awesome spot with 2 players left to act, but what kind of hand do you expect to make with AK ? I call preflop wanting TPTK, I flop it, I play hard. If not, why call preflop at all ?

Reraising preflop is an interesting option to get heads-up on the flop.