AK vs. a reraise

[SonnyJay]

I just began playing SNGs again after about 7 months away, and I'm trying to get the feel of the game again.

I found myself in this position three times in the last two nights, and I wasn't sure exactly what my plan should be. 3rd hand of the tourney, no reliable reads yet. I appreciate your advice.

Party Poker $20+$2
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) http://216.119.70.224/converter/hhconverter.pl

MP2 (t800)
Hero (t800)
CO (t785)
Button (t760)
SB (t720)
BB (t655)
UTG (t785)
UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t1095)
MP1 (t800)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls t15, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP2 calls t15, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t85</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls t85, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to t365</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP2 folds, Hero ???

a) Any problems with my original raise?
b) What's my plan after SB raises? Can I play my AK vs. a random player's reraise from the SB? Even if I can, would I be better off keeping my chips and hopefully be able to take advantage of better situations and the bubble later?
c) How much is part (b) affected by the button's smooth call of my raise? How does it change things if he isn't in the pot?

Thanks in advance for the help.

-SonnyJay

[Andrew Fletcher]

Early in a SnG, I would fold AK to that kind of raise. Maybe that's a little too tight-weak, but I think you want to see a relatively cheap flop with a drawing hand like AK. Of course, you want to thin the field if you've got a bunch limpers. I think the raise to t85 is too low, even though it is technically correct. I find that in low buy-in SnGs, most people will call any bet -100t that they would limp with.

the t365 probably means 1010, JJ, QQ, KK, AA. At least, that's what I think.

[45suited]

Push or fold. Pick one. I fold here.

I think your original raise was fine, meaning you hadn`t put too much into the pot making it easier to get away from this hand and make the laydown.

As early as it was in the tournament I would fold and make a mental note of that player coming over the top like that.

[Wes ManTooth]

You can either push or fold, folding may be the best option its still early and your not losing much. Also and take notes on SB's play.

You may also want to post the other examples of reraises that you faced with AK. Where those reraises as high or simular? and any of them limp reraises? how many handed?

[SonnyJay]

These situations were all very similar: Level 1 blinds, AKo, raise was smooth-called by 1 person, then reraised big by someone that hadn't acted yet.

I folded this (and the others) for the same reason that the others have posted: it's close between push/fold, but better to keep your chips early.

I figured that even at the $20+$2 the likely range of hands that raise here are pocket pairs and AK, since it seems as though a lot of players will call a raise with a hand like A7, but it's less likely they reraise with it. (Correct me if my thinking is flawed). In this situation I thought that I shouldn't risk my chips on a likely coinflip and take advantage of better situations as the tourney progressed.

Thanks for the feedback.

-SonnyJay