All in preflop

I want to find out what some takes are with this method. AA, KK, those are almost automatic for me. AK, AQ, QQ, I sometimes think about. Either way. I find that far too many times when I've had these cards I often lose to 4 boarded cards to straights and flushes. Also when someone goes all in that you have a read on. If you think your hand is stronger and call their all in it's not bad to call right? Too often I find thats WRONG! AQ loses to their K5 with a pr of 5's. I'm starting to think I risk too much preflop.

Is this a tournament or cash game?

If you have an opportunity to get all in with AA, KK, QQ, AK, or AQ in a tournament, go ahead. But don't go all in immediately, you lose too much value that way. Depending on against whom you are playing, you may want to increase that range down to 99 and A10; that's up to you to decide based on what you've seen of their ranges.

In a cash game as stacks are deeper you probably should take AQ off that list just because people aren't going to stack with anything you beat. Cash games aren't about risk - they are about expected value. Don't worry about losing with AQ to K5, in the long run if you use bankroll management you'll be fine.

It all depends on tournament play vrs live play then who are you against what position are you in who do you have a read on you chip stack vrs other chipstakes how deep in the tournament are you what are the blinds you have to play tournaments with all this in mind. Cash games is different. I am not very good at them so I wont commit to much on that

I don't do cash games. I can't seem to play them for the life of me. I only play tournaments and mostly freerolls right now because I'm broke lol

well if in freerolls go ahead because your bound to get some moron call you but if its a real money toreny just rasise and hope for a reraise or a all in but myself i woudent push becasue there will be no value for the bet

I always evaluate my hand , my opponents and chip stack and where I am in the tornament. If I am late tornament vs early tornament my play is usually a lot different. I am more concerned in staying in the game with a healthy chipstack to make a bigger $ prize then play what you may think is a good all in hand for greed sake and risk losing my position. It will also depend on the amount of players possibly pushed before me and the read on the players. verses early tornament or if I am short stacked I would definately push with Ak, AQ, KK, QQ and AA is a given. Pocket A is always a good hand to push but if you slow play them and there are possible hands and you up against many other players sometimes you just have to lay them down. Here is a funny story I did one find myself heads up once in a tornament against another player with pocket A's He pushed I called We both had pocket A's he winded up taking me out by hitting 4 clubs and he had the A of clubs. Now to me that seldom happens but I was like OMG it just wasn't my week because that same week I got taken out 4 other tornaments holding pocket A or Pocket K's in my hand all late torney. That week I was having a bad run.

all in preflop it s lotto..but i will tell u a bad beat that happened in a tournament..one player goes all in with A9 spades i call with AA..lool verry happy...flop 3 spades and turn one more to be sure)..if wasn t lotto sure i will folded when that 3 spades shown..ipoker

I never really automatically go all-in with AA-AQ unless I'm small stacked or someone else is pushing and I know I'll get a call (of course I'll have a read on the players pushing). I have a really hard time laying pocket J's or higher down if someone's pushed me all-in preflop, though. AK & AQ I'll usually call an all-in too, but that's about it. I've folded 10's to an all-in knowing someone was probably going to pair their ace. Of course, it depends on the situation.

WOW that stinks big time. I hate it when you think you've definitely got it or it's at least a split pot, but then the same suit keeps falling and not in your favor. I've always felt like a flush using 4 table cards is a cheap flush.

in freerolls i'll go all-in with any of those hands. real games no. you lose way too much value and it's better off to get mutiple betters.

The only 2 hands I like to be all in with preflop with are AA and KK.

Have lost way too many times with the others from being all in preflop with them.

I think it's better to see a flop with these lesser hands to give yourself an opportunity to get away from your hand if you have a fairly good idea that you are beaten.

I was reading Negranu's book the other day and you have to think of AK and AQ as good hands but... they are still going to be a coin flip against any pocket pair... and they are going to be a slight favorite over two live cards also... when looking to get all in pre-flop you really only want to have AA or KK because AA obviously will dominate over every hand... and KK will dominate over everyhand but AA... also KK has a little bit of trouble over

Just some stats...
AK o (61%) vs 87 o (37%) -- AK o (66%) vs J5 o (33%) -- AK o (47%) vs 22 (51%) -- AK o (42.66%) vs QQ (57%) -- AK o (29.61%) vs KK (69.61) -- AK (6.90%) vs AA (91.65%) -- AK (67%) vs 72 (32%)
(most of these numbers are just round about figures... not counting on suited or what not but that should give about a 2% increase or decrease either way)

So while the AK is a great drawing hand.. it will be dominated by AA KK QQ and while you feel you are being cheated if J5 or some other garbage hand gets you... they still have a pretty good shot at winning.. i mean look at 72... its going to beat you 32% of the time!!!

Now i am not saying it is not a great hand... but you need to be careful with it.. if you have a low stack then PUSH with it!!! but if you are sitting with a high stack vs high stack throw it away if you think the guy has a premium pair... its all about who you are playing and weighing the situation...

Yeak, AK is strong, but only after flop (hitting A or K). Going allin in with AK preflop is very risky.

If you are talking about cash games, then risk doesn't matter. Just get the money in good and profits will eventually follow.

In a tournament, you should totally stack with AK. AK is NOT a drawing hand all in preflop. It is a strong hand with showdown value even unimproved, while also have a draw to an extremely strong hand heads up (TPTK).

Everyone has their own style.
If it works keep doing it
If not reevaluate.


"Automatic Pre Flop All Ins"

Try not to become predictable.

Poker is insanely complicated and many times it will serve you better to make a Large Raise Pre Flop to reduce the number of callers and see what the Flop brings. Bet the Flop and if presented with a Large Raise and the Flop is suited, paired or tight connected be prepared to Fold.


Do what works.


Good Luck.

It can depend on the number of callers as well.

I have been fairly shortstacked and pushed with AA in a tourney and got called by multiple players who have flopped straights,flushes and all sorts of wonderful things to crack them.

AA-KK is a 80% fav (so I have read)

Each poker hand and tournament has alot of "depends" attached to any decision. With AA and KK i'll go allin preflop to reduce the field and hope they don't get cracked. The big pairs are strong preflop after the flop there only a pair. So I go all-in pre-flop.

In a deep cash game, a lot of good players will throw KK away if faced with an all-in reraise from a solid opponent. AA is about the only hand I shove all in with pre-flop in a cash game if I'm more than 100BB deep.

AA and KK are automatic for me. AK AQ and QQ I will push often with those hands. JJ and 10's I like to see a flop before pushing. Anything pockets lower then that I usually just call the bling hoping to see a flop.

Oww.. I HATE goin all in pre-flop its such a coin toss really.. But if there was a hand that i would choose.. It would most defianlty be AA.. Best hand .. Only thing is .. Is that my AA has been beat by Flushes and straights and a 4 of a kind.. So any way u look at it.. Its 50.50

If you are talking about cash games its all about the value for your bet.I try to stay away from all ins in cash tourny's but freerolls it's a lil different for me.AA KK QQ are nothing more than good starting hands however i would raise 3 or times the bet to ward off the fools.I hope you find the answers your looking for tho good luck

With your strong hands, try to stick to a 3-5 bb raise for preflop. This gives u the opportunity to see how the other player's react to the raise. If u have AA or KK, and they reraise u then u can repop the pot and try to double up. But it also depends on how many people are in the pot if your hu its obviously a no branner.