AK/AKs preflop?

ThePopinjay · #1 09-23-2004, 01:31 AM

Say you are playing a 2/4 NL game, AK or AKs dealt to you in the big blind. Guy in EPMP raises to 4xBB he only does this with pocket pairs QQ or worse. KK or AA he would try to limp reraise. You know this. So it gets folded to you. What do you do...? Reraise or just simply call hoping to see an A or K on the flop?

What you raise him to something like $50, and he reraises again to $100? Do you push here? (Easy push with 100xBB stacks, but what about deeper stacks?)

Thanks. I am having trouble with this hand, mostly getting into too many races preflop.

pshreck · #2 09-23-2004, 02:02 AM

Way too general a question. It's really not even answerable. I mean... if you really KNOW he never has AA or KK, then it would be incredibly +EV to push everytime.... you either pick up the bet preflop, or are in a race or have him dominated post flop.

They key is that you never are 100% sure that he wouldnt raise his aces or kings, and because it doesnt take many times that he holds those hands to make your autopush very negative EV. 100% of the time he calls your push and a very high percentage of those times he takes your stack.

You need a more specific example to get a real response. Whether to reraise with AK (as opposed to open bet), call, or fold, is probably the most situation based decision in hold em (although everything is situation).

ThePopinjay · #3 09-23-2004, 02:15 AM

it's a purely hypothetical question, so let's just go along with it. although i'm sure you've had situations where you knew the guy was on something like TT, i know i have

pshreck · #4 09-23-2004, 02:37 AM

Considering I had position on him... my most common play would be to double or triple his raise, for 2 reasons.

1. I pick up the pot right there vs. a lot of underpairs who dont want to get anymore money involved vs. a potential overpair.

2. I have position on him for a bigger pot. If you both have AK, and not A or K flops, you will get the money more of the time. If he has A with worse kicker you will get more money. If an unfavorable flop comes you get to see him act and know whether or not to fold or play the hand.

This information is all basic NLHE strategy from books though... involving position and EV.

Ofcourse if hes a rock things change.... if hes a maniac things change, etc...

ThePopinjay · #5 09-23-2004, 02:43 AM

hm interesting. what about if he has position on you?