Big Slick the danger hand

#1 15th July 2007, 6:40 PM

In the 35 years of playing poker I have seen to many people put to much faith in AK . Any two cards can win and to put all your money on big slick before the flop is just silly. It is a nice hand when you hit but people get mad if some one calls and then beats big slick they say you are a donkey for calling them . So I say treat big slick with care because you can lose it all .

#2 15th July 2007, 7:57 PM

Big Slick, is a drawing hand. It's a very good drawing hand, but you have to play it carefully. Keep in mind that if you miss the flop, you only have A high.

I think players get in trouble, when to put to much faith in it post-flop.

#3 17th July 2007, 7:03 AM

Yeah i hate when people go all in on the flop with A K when they dont have anything. I would actuaully have something and call, and they will catch an A or K on the river. I dont know why they risk all there chips with A K when its not even that good of a hand. But i guess if thats how they play, then thats how they play.

#4 17th July 2007, 7:08 AM

I actually prefer AK suited to alot of the high/mid pockets like 10s-Qs because I play it so much more cautiously I tend to make more money with AK when I hit and lose less when I dont.

#5 17th July 2007, 2:06 PM

good old ak lol. so many people overplay this hand its ridiculous. i think theres 2 ways of playing it but i only really like 1. 1st is to raise it big but that still sucks if you miss maybe only when theres like 3 limpers. i recomend min raising it or 2 1/2xbigblind. this way you are building the pot without overcommiting to it. make sense? its a good drawing hand but if it misses you have to be able to pitch it. thats my 2 cents on ak

#6 17th July 2007, 3:02 PM

The old Anna Kornikova- beautiful to look at but never wins anything. Also known as the Mike Tyson- Looks tuff but gets beat up a lot. THE most over-rated, overplayed hand in poker.

#7 17th July 2007, 3:31 PM

I despise AK, it's one of my least favorite hands. It is a drawing hand, a drawing hand that can only make one possible straight.

In preflop all-in situations you're often in bad shape with AK unless the other person has a weaker ace. With AKo you're a 43% dog against something like JJ.

But even when there's postflop play you won't hit the flop that often. I usually continuation bet but like with any other hand that hasn't hit, you're facing a tough turn decision if you get called.

I think it's key to play this hand against as few opponents as possible. Don't min-raise like somebody else suggested because you'll get too many callers.

#8 17th July 2007, 7:40 PM

Just looked, my win % with AQo is higher than with AKs. AKs gets a higher pot on average with me raising about the same for both.

#9 17th July 2007, 8:04 PM

I love taking advice on this forum, but what is up with people hating on AK so much. It isn't a bad hand, it is bad players who play it wrong.

And enough of people saying they hate when someone goes all-in on the flop with no piece of it. Wouldn't you want someone to call your all-in when you are way ahead? Fear of being sucked out on shouldn't dictate play...

As I am typing this I just got AK two hands in a row, and won both. Give me this hand all day long and I will show you nice profits...

#10 17th July 2007, 8:49 PM

My defense of AK from this thread. Another discussion here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliengenius

The advantages of AK are mostly in it's preflop value:

1. Fold equity. This is the biggest advantage of AK. For me it is almost alway a REraising hand preflop. For you to take advantage of this, you MUST play it aggressively (your opponent must fold). Small pairs can't really call you for fear that you have a bigger pair when you play it aggressively. If you do get called, even by something like QQ, you are still only a slight dog.

2. Pre-flop dominating hand. This is mostly applicable against donks who will call you with Ax soooooded. Inversely, you are only really dominated vs AA or KK (and you have about 30% vs KK).

3. Post flop your top pair always has top kicker when you hit.

Obviously when your opponent goes all in he has neutralized AK's biggest advantage as he can no longer fold. Against two random cards that don't include either and ace or a king you are not that big of a favorite with five to come, as other posters pointed out. But you don't ever really want to be calling an all in with very many hands (AA and KK excepted)-- YOU want to be the one doing the raising or pushing.

Just to look at it another way, let's compare AK to a small pair, say 55.

AK is a dominating hand. IF your raise is called you are (most likely) either:

1. way ahead (vs. a weaker ace)
OR
2. in a 50/50ish race.

With 55 you are (most likely) either:

1. way behind (vs. a bigger pair)
OR
2. in a 50/50ish race.

See the difference?

I have to agree that anyone who doesn't like AK does not know how to play it.

#11 17th July 2007, 9:05 PM

i remeber playing at a friends house AK, i raised big preflop some one called , comes a bad flop 4 both, i bet he raises,4 street came with nothing i bet he calls, comes the river still nothing i check and he does a wooping raise i suspected he didnt have anything and called and winned with a high ace
my point is if your playing agressive and get another agressive caller how is AK ment to played? if you start agreesive and have a caller and a bad flop how do u continue keep pushing your stack?

#12 18th July 2007, 6:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aliengenius

If you do get called, even by something like QQ, you are still only a slight dog.

(...)

2. in a 50/50ish race.

This is only true if the hand goes all the way to the river. Unless you're in an all-in situation this is simply not the case.

Typically you'll see a flop, and you'll either hit it or you won't. And the probability of hitting it is what? 32%? Doesn't sound like a race to me.

If you play your AK against said QQ, you don't hit the flop, you continuation bet and you get re-raised. You can't exactly call to see the missing two cards to make it a true race.

AK is actually my sixth most profitable hand, but I don't enjoy playing it, and I always play it carefully.

#13 18th July 2007, 6:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris_TC

If you play your AK against said QQ, you don't hit the flop, you continuation bet and you get re-raised.

guess I'll just cry if I miss then....

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