I need your help - AK, AQ

[Vitaliy]

I know that this topic was discussed millons of times and there are multiple people who struggling with these hands. Bad news for me - I am one of them. AK, AQ my top hands I'm losing money with.

I play at FTilt .5-$1 (100NL) and, as you probably know, game there is quite tight (and only 9 players). Almost no aggression preflop unless monster run into another monster. A lot of games with not raised or only slightly raised pot (3.5-4BB). Can you tell me are there any reason to play AQ and AK differently from AJ (which is BTW profitable hand for me)? Every time I try to play AK and AQ hands aggressively preflop on this site I got called only by pocket pairs and the best normal scenario is they fold after the flop. The worst case: they hit trips or do not beleive my continuation bets. I can fold my AK if I beleive that somebody has better hand, but sometimes it gets really ugly and it makes huge difference (e.g. AK with AKx flop and sombody holding xx). This AK/AQ strategy wins a lot of small pots for me, but loses big.

Is it really true that AK and moreover AQ must be downgraded as recent article in Card Player suggests? Or can you suggest (ot point me to) a NL strategy of how to play AK and AQ?

1. Should I raise AK/AQ from early/mid/late position?
2. Should I raise from late/mid postion with multiple limpers? How hard?
3. Should I reraise from late/mid position?
4. Any diff preflop when hand is suited?
5. After the flop - continuation bets? Basic strategy vs tight players and lose players?
6. Do you have any methods of figuring out that your opponent flopped trips?
7. What bet sizes do you use?

I can post few sample hands I played, so you can criticize my play. But first - may be you know a good theoretical approach on how to play AK/AQ.

Thanks a lot!