Anyone play this different?

[1800GAMBLER]

2.5/5 Game. $500 buy in, i've just come back to it after having a good morning.

I get AKo on the button.

UTG+2 raises $20. He does this with weak Aces, AT A9s. I decide i'll trap him as that way if an ace falls he'll loss his stack as compared to reraising him and giving him a reason to get away from his hand if the ace hits.

I call, but as does the SB who is a tight and very good player. BB comes along too who is just loose.

Flop:

A J 5 2 hearts.

UTG+2 bets $90, i raise to $200, SB calls and he folds.

Turn: 3o

He moves in for $250. I call.

This is an awful hand because he'd play AQ and JJ the same, knowning on the turn he is going to have to call all in and just move all in.

[1800GAMBLER]

Blah. I know the answer anyhow. Reraising preflop would have taken me heads up with someone i know has a weaker hand and also allowing me to bluff if missed for a huge pot, and still get action if he had some ace as i could try to play it like KK. Also lets me get away from my hand and not get trapped if he plays back at me. Rant rant rant. Too much to learn. rant rant rant. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

SB had JJ. /me walks home.

SB hit a set of 5s in the very next hand and has tripled up.

I'm still up for the day. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[soda]

I usually (almost always) reraise in position with AK against a loose raiser. That way I get to take control of the hand and I'm better able to gauge the strength of people's holdings. Also, my opponents cannot put me on AA or KK when I reraise. The benefit here is quite obvious.

Having said that, it's difficult not to lose a heap when you flop an ace or a king to AK and someone else flops a set. So, don't feel too bad.

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[tang]

I'll play this the same as you pre-flop about 25% of the time, as long as I know the BB is capable of giving up his blind if it's been raised and called by a tight (you) player.

The reason being is just what you stated, when the original raiser makes it $20 w/ A9o and spikes his Ace you will get his whole stack around 100% of the time.

[1800GAMBLER]

Yeah my thoughts were the same but i didn't consider the blinds at all. SB said after the hand that he wouldn't have kept those jacks if i had reraised.

[Zag]

You obviously don't really need this advice, but ...

With AK and position over a loose raiser, you should be thinking ISOLATE!

I would almost never (maybe 5%) just call here. The last thing you want is to give the blinds the implied odds to play their trapping hands.