Is calling Ak +EV

i always 3 bet AK is this the right play? and facing a 4bet allin is calling the right thing to do? should i make the call on the type of player i think the 4better is? need help?

As everything in poker, it depends. Depends on the player and situation.

it sure is

If you aren't happy 3 betting AK and then 5betting all in/calling a 4bet shove then just flat the raise.

As you'll hear a million times in poker, position is everything. IT DOES depend on overall stats and reads you've collected, but...

1Online, if you've been raised once and you're in the blinds, it might be a better call to raise. It's a holding that doesn't play well multi-way, so if someone else calls the raise and I am in the blinds, I need to try and thin the field. Live is another story...again, it all depends, but you should pound that AK for value pre-flop and punish all those limpers behind you.

Online, if I see that someone is likely to fold a c-bet(say 80% or more likely), I am going to represent any face card that shows on the flop, and fire a barrel. If you flat a raise, you have a harder time repping something big as opposed to raising.

But again, it all depends!

Don't always do the same thing. Mix it up.

So many people overvalue and overbet AK,
and so many people under bet and allow it to get out drawn without being able to get away from it, (stacking of with nothing but two high cards on the river and moaning that the rags hit the flop).

There is no one right way, but there are many wrong ones.
All you can do is what feels best at the time.

For instance what would you do with it in the small blind with only the big blind left in the hand, on the bubble, knowing the big blind is an aggressive player? Or on the bubble knowing the big blind is a calling station?

OP is referring to 'cash games' & is giving a specific scenario. He's not asking 'how do I play AK (in tournament) in diff. scenarios'

OP, 'it depends'. It is player read dependant. In the lowest micros, the large majority of 'reg' players who are 4-betting pre have a really tight range, typically AA, KK, AK (< maybe).... also depends if it's a SS reg. (40bb's on most sites now). I'm assuming that you're asking this question because more often than not they're flipping over AA, KK (or it seems that way). vs. the tight reg. micro nits who are multi-tabling regs., yup, it probably is. But there's also always a few REALLY spewy players who are getting it in with crap too (reads are essential imo.. so.. 'it depends')

Think of this way;

If your opponent + situation tells you he's only doing this with KK/AA, fold.
If your opponent + situation tells you his range is QQ+ and AK, you're in a better situations,
If your opponent + situation tells you his range includes AQ and JJ and maybe slightly lower, you're in a good situation to get it in.
If your opponent might be doing this with AJ- and mid pairs and down, you're so far ahead that you can consider flatting because if you flop top pair you may have him dominated and he'll pay you off postflop.

This is all based on 100bb stacks; if you're deeper then the all-in preflop range should be much tighter. If stacks are short then you're probably already committed.

I love how mathematical this is, I am going to run through these four when making a decision and see what happens. ATM I'm losing money with Ak

Poker Orifice made a huge point. It really depends on your opponent. And if you add a little math to it it's much easier.

AK is way behind AA and KK. So if you are playing against a guy that has 3bet once in the last couple of hours and has 13/12 stats... just muck it. You are a 4:1 dog. But if you have a read on him... let's say... you saw him shove Q4o... by all means, call the shove.

But what if you saw him shove AK? Let's say it's acceptable to imagine that he'll 3bet shove AK, QQ+, right? Let's do the math assuming you are both 100BB.

Villain raises EP 4BB, you 3bet MP 12BB and he 4bet shoves. There are now 113.5BB in the pot and you have to call your remaing 82BB. You are about 2:3 dog against his range so for every 100 hands...

(113.5 * 40) - (82 * 60) = 4540 - 4920 = -380BB/100

Where I'm trying to get is that unless you have a major read on your villain it's usually +EV to muck it. As I see it, AK is the best drawing hand, but it's just a drawing hand. Very useful preflop, kind of nice postflop but if I'm not getting it, I'm mucking it. I've lost quite a bit of money with AK and lately I haven't because I'm folding way more often.

If your' 3bet gets called and you miss the flop should you cbet? I thought you should because you are representing overs like JJ-AA by 3betting. I seem to get floated a lot in this situations and forced to check fold the turn...

thanks poker office this will be my thought process from now all. thanks for all the other useful advice guys

I always cbet in that situation but you play in higher stakes so you are probably facing more aggression and quality... so... I don't know about floaters.

Simplicity ...