I hate AK!!!!!!

[MrJohnGalt]

I agree... generally not a great idea to not raise preflop, but I do enjoy a cold call behind a raiser who could be playing AJ or AQ or small pockets. The deception pays.

[Klepton]

THROW CARDS UP INTO THE AIR AND RUN AWAY SCREAMING

[Jedi Flopper]

You have to raise PF to narrow the field because AK does not do well multi way. You want to get heads up or at most 2 callers with AK.

[jokerpoker]

In a nutshell, that was the perfect response... [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Schwartzy61]

[ QUOTE ]
THROW CARDS UP INTO THE AIR AND RUN AWAY SCREAMING

[/ QUOTE ]

The way I'm running right now this is probably my best option!

[bohemian]

[ QUOTE ]
... have lost more money with AKo than any other hand. I realize the sample size is really small but it happens all the time. The only time i feal good about it is when the flop comes K high. HELP!

[/ QUOTE ]

You haven't played AQo often enough yet.

[rgschackelford]

Howdy,

For the love of all that is holy with the poker gods, play AKo strongly preflop, unless you are confident of someone having a big pair. You don't play hands on the basis of "I'll bet when I made my hand, and check-call on the come." There is great positive expectation in raising AKo preflop. Of course, the situation depends (if you're in a super satellite, 8 left, and 7 get spots in a larger tournament, and you're second stack, you would possibly fold AKo, especially to the chip leader. You'd have nothing to gain, essentially.) Anyway, In a ring game, AKo is a premium hand, and you should push it hard, until you have clear evidence of AA, KK, etc. (e.g. The tightest rock in the game is raising and reraising). With that being said, when you play it postflop, you just have to know when it's beat. If you flop 8-9-T of spades (and your AK is red), then you should probably check-fold. With that, I will conclude by wishing you the best of luck the next time you look down and are staring eye-to-eye with big slick.

RGS

[Matt Williams]

I used to hate AK, but now I love getting it. If the flop isn't totally bad, when you push with it you will win. At least that is how it is with me. A lot of times players will think you have pocket Kings or Aces and will fold if either comes up on the flop or turn. But only if you push it.

[Tooork]

Hate is a strong word.. but, I dint really like AK either, I can put it that way.

[Sasnak]

I ran into a 200+BB downswing and became timid/weak with AK. To the point of rationalizing it just like you're doing. I was being "deceptive". I was being "fancy". I was going to "outplay" my opponents post flop. Bullsh!t.

So I sent a DB of HH's to Entity whom promptly posted a number of my AK hands (without my userid here, Entity ain't a bad guy! lol). Then after getting butt-sexed by everyone else for being such a p*ssy, I reached down to check if I still had two and began playing the way I was supposed to.

So knock it off. No one will tell you your strategy is the correct thing. You're either running bad or in a decent downswing. Play through it, or take some time off, or drop a limit or two. But never slowplay AK.