A theory on AK

TOURNEY POKER. Im sure i copied this from somehwere but it makes a bunch of sense. When i watch a lot of TV poker pros tend to play their AK very ****ing aggro. Why? Thats what i thought. Lets consider this. Its early in a tourney, you are short stacked with 20xBB. You have AKo and your up against QQ, you raise pre flop 3xBB and get bumped up to 10xBB, you call putting your opponent on some kind of pair or big ace. Flop comes A K 5. SWEET! You push and your opponent folds. Gutted.

Consider this. Its early in a tourney, you are short stacked with 20xBB. You have AKo and your up against QQ. You: ALL IN. VILLAIN: CALL. Flop comes A K 5 9 10. You double up. Sorted.

So here comes the argument. Try and get it in preflop if you know your not crushed. If you get your chips all in preflop your more likely to get paid off even though its a race. Cos if you slow play and hit against QQ JJ 1010 your most likely not going to get paid off.

Does this make sense, i dunno. This is my first real post. I thinksome of the numbers are wrong but i think you can get my point.

But this theory works on the premise that you will win the hand. If the flop comes Q 10 5, you'd have rather not gone allin and saved yourself some chips.

Why enter a tournament and be willing to go for a 50/50, thats gambling unneccesary. We play in tournaments because we think we can outplay our opponents and take their chips when it is in our advantage.

I don't think I would go preflop all-in too fast in tournaments, unless my stack size forces me to.
As North Bank says, it's coin toss and my goal is to go as far as possible in the tournament, not getting bust with an AK allin!!

Doesn't make to much sense to try that in the beginning of a tourny. Your chances of losing it and the seat are too high.

I agree with JaBone. You have to flop an A Before pushing all in. You get knocked out by the JJ or QQ more often then hitting your a or k

It's great to push all in - or call - early if it is a small buy in or a freeroll, short stacked or not. If you get beat, no big deal> If you get called and you win, you're off to a good start. In a larger buy in, I don't think it's worth the risk. Also, you won't get called like you do in freerolls, so you'll only pick up the blinds, and your object shoud be to accumulate chips...

I am not sure I agree with your logic. Poker is a game where your strategy needs to change depending on a number of factors which apply at that particular time. There is a time for all but there is also a time to bet based on the percentages. You have to be able to think each hand for its own strengths and not apply a blanket strategy.

Exactly, the issue is to complex to just push in, the longer you can go with AK without going in, the more info you have to judge by. If you don't connect you might still be able to come back. Too often people "make their stand" too early, and don't give themselves the largest number of chances to connect

dont forget to consider the blindlevels and startingstacks...
Turbo format calls for aggression with marginal cards preflop / hands postflop...
Whenever i wear my donkeyhat..., im willing to race, but thats not poker...lol

look at it this way, AK is ur enemy. dont do anything stupid. never go all in unless you have the nuts.

Absolutely correct here!