AKo facing a re-raise

[ThingDo]

Hello all,


Stars 20+2 SnG 9 Handed. All stacks are all just about what they started with. Blinds are 10/15. I have no reads on any of the players at this point. I'm in the BB and pick up AKo. Folded to LMP player who raises to 100. Folded to me. I raise to 320. ( Good? Bad? Ugly? ) He now re-raises to 520. Whats my action from here on? What if I call and miss the flop? Do I check and fold? Do I take a shot at the flop? Ahhh!

[darcythepug]

If you have no read, I would fold. He has position on you after the flop and his reraise is screaming AA-KK and if he is looser maybe QQ-99. So at best you are a slight underdog and maybe dominated badly - wait for a better opportunity to get your chips in the middle.

I have also found that showing that you can be "tight" early on can really come in handy when the blinds are bigger later, you'll get your money back and more in steals when the blinds are 200-400 etc.

Darcythepug

[ThingDo]

How bad or good was the original raise by me?

[MikeGuz]

Slick is the most misplayed hand in HE poker - BY FAR.

I don't like to reraise with it but will call raises.

Specially heads up. Knowing hos some of these hotshots play in these cheap SnGs he could have had any pair or just a suited A maybe KQs. So I'd take the flop for $100 and go from there.

[adanthar]

You don't really have much choice except to call at this point. Your reraise is really the main problem; you reraised for far too many chips*. 200 would've been better; you can then lead for 200 more on any flop, fold to a raise and still have some hope of a comeback.

Now that you reraised to 320, your choices all suck about equally, but queens will also do this and you have the odds (and a crippled stack) to call against KK so I'd call. Fold on a flop that doesn't pair you, all in on one that does and hope you get really lucky.

Edit: This is with an 800 chip structure. IIRC, Stars has 1500 so the original reraise/a call is a little better (but still bad). Bet on any K or A, but fold if you're raised when holding a king.

*If you were going to reraise at all. The raise to 100 is a massive one given the blinds and I don't like it. Reraising is better when the original raise is small and you want to put the fear of God into the AQ/AJ.

[Gramps]

There's 25 chips of forced money in the pot. It's very early in the tourney. A played raised to 100 in front of you. There's a good chance he really likes his hand.

Raising to 320 doesn't do any good IMO. 320 to win 145...that's risking a lot to try and win 145 chips...and if he comes over the top of you, you may have just made a sizeable donation (by folding) without even getting to see a flop.

If your opponent calls, then 2/3 of the time you're going to be holding Ace high on the flop. That's not a good scenario either.

You could push, but you're a coin flip against any pair, you really don't want to gamble like that early in the tourney. 125 free chips would be nice (if your opponent and everyone else folds), but it's not going to improve your chances of getting in the money by more than a very, very slight amount. Maybe, if you knew the PFR was VERY loose/reckless and would call your all-in with hands like AQ/AJ/AT, or some crappy non-pair hands (KQ, etc., there are players who do this), then maybe you take a shot...

...but folding looks like the best option here. 2nd best choice would be to call, and see if an Ace or King flops. It's early, there's not much money in the pot, the blinds are very low compared to your stack size, be patient.

[patrick dicaprio]

with low blinds i would just call here. you shouldnt reraise with AKo unless you are pushing in and with low blinds you arent doing that. his raise to 520 is most likely QQ or AK in which case he is making a bad play also unless you are both smaller stacks. keep in mind tho that i usually play at pokerstars starting with 1500 vs. party which starts at 800, so if you are on party and have 800 and are faced with a 100 raise youplay is different than if you have 1500.

Pat