AK in a Tournament

M

macmuckalot

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Total posts
78
Chips
0
Well for me Ace king is good to me, and bad in other ways, in poker i think anything can win because luck can be on your side, or you can drop three of a kind on the turn and river.. So i want to know how everyone would play the Big Ace King!
IM ALL IN!!!!!! :rolleyes:
 
evildoesit2003

evildoesit2003

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Total posts
1,922
Awards
1
Chips
9
Death by ace-king

Everytime I get an ace-king I shudder it has killed me more times than not if I dont have it someone else does and takes me out. I know everyone raises with it Im afraid to I would lose my shirt faster.
 
Cheetah

Cheetah

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 15, 2007
Total posts
825
Chips
0
If you play with idiots, limp or call small raises and see the flop.

If you play with poker players, raise the standard and see what the action is.
 
Tigersmith

Tigersmith

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
May 23, 2007
Total posts
278
Awards
1
Chips
3
I started playing poker about 6 months, and I have improved soo much over those 6 months as im now playing medium stakes MTT and Ring.

But when I did play low stakes and was new to online poker I would be stupid and overplay AK every time I had that hand. Its a Above average preflop hand, but after that flop comes down and you bricked..make a good decision fold or you think AK is the best hand. Overall playing AK preflop and after the flop is all about the read you have on your player. Did he hit or not..Sure Ill call a All in with AK if I believe im going aganist AQ or AJ , AT. Who would not?.. Play it with caution though.

If your playing Micro stakes and you get AK with very loose players..SHIP IT and hope it holds
 
S

superpiouf

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Total posts
5
Chips
0
I think it's the most difficult hand to play !!
22 is better than AK so it's a good hand to push all in at the end o a tournament but I don't think it deserve so muh risks if you have multiple raises at the beginning of a freezeout tournament
 
B

bill_nj

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 18, 2008
Total posts
49
Chips
0
As was said, it really depends on the game you are playing. Early in a 6000 person freeroll just push. Far worse hands will call. If you win great you now have some chips. If not you're out and did not waste too much time. Later on or against better players you don't want to overplay but you still need to raise. High cards play best against fewer players. You especially don't want to give the BB a free ride so he can hit some runner,runner, runner hand to beat you.

Post flop is a different story. Like the previous poster said, 22 beats you. Don't fall in love with your cards. If you don't hit something give it up and wait for a better spot. I'm not saying auto fold but if you continuation bet and someone behind you pushes just fold.
 
zachvac

zachvac

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Sep 14, 2007
Total posts
7,832
Chips
0
If i play with AK, i often loose. I don´t know why, but i need a little bit of luck. Bevor few minutes i have AK on tournament and a other player 4 4 and he wins. Often is AK bad!

Oh no you lost a coin flip, poker must be rigged.
 
Gallo

Gallo

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
Total posts
167
Chips
0
Ak is by fat the most overplayed hand in hold'em. I will raise preflop (3X) and take it from their.
 
K

Kyle Poker God

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Feb 18, 2008
Total posts
11
Chips
0
I Agree AK is over played it is not a made hand and even when people miss the flop yet it is low they feel inclined to call to the river of course in a tournie i would not throw it away to an unraised pot then again if i get raised then re=raised or even a big raise i can easily fold the hand without worrying about it to much :)
 
H

Henreiman

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Total posts
560
Chips
0
A/K is a blessing if you go up against A/Q, but if its 10/9 Suited donk time, it's pretty much a coinflip. And if its pockets, you have 6 basic outs. Generally, I'll raise it up a bit, or if theres a raise before me and I have a particularly strong or weak stack, go all in.
 
W

WOBogey

Rising Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 15, 2008
Total posts
16
Chips
0
I love AK. It is a hand that can take down a lot of flops when I hit. I hate having kicker problems after flops, and AK eliminates that problem and if I hit top pair, top kicker I am able to bet with it, and if villain has weaker A or K I get paid off.
Doyle Brunson says he would rather have AK than AA or KK because it is easier to get rid of it it you miss the flop. I agree. gl
 
CrackaNACtion

CrackaNACtion

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 20, 2008
Total posts
392
Chips
0
well Me Id Go All In. I Was Looking At A Chart And It Said Always Raise/Reraise Preflop With Ak AA KK QQ So I Usually Do.. Ak Is A Tricky Hand Though But Id Be All In
 
aliengenius

aliengenius

Cardschat Elite
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Total posts
4,596
Chips
0
The value of AK is in its preflop fold equity, and as such should be played strongly preflop (barring a specific read). See here:

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?
 
shammalamma

shammalamma

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Total posts
144
Chips
0
Unless your back is against the wall, tread cautiously with AK, especially unsuited. Give it a decent (2-4x) preflop raise or limp in in early position. Be careful after the flop, especially in lower limit games where people will call/raise with anything preflop. As always keep an eye on your opponents moves to try to get an idea of what they're looking for.
 
O

ognib6

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Total posts
41
Chips
0
AK is big advantage, raise 3 to 4 times the BB then i go by the 4 2 rule and count outs and x by 4 or 2 and go from there
 
P

pkrook

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Total posts
211
Chips
0
hmm in some ways "alien" makes a point, I definitely agree but I wonder what the forrest is like when there is only one tree?
 
roland cote

roland cote

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 14, 2007
Total posts
5,468
Chips
0
OK, this saved me a post, because I ws going to ask about how much to rise on the AK. My question now is: what the hecks a 4 2 rule? And lol Zach, I got a 2 headed coin: ones the devil, the other ones the devil! lol
 
S

switch0723

Cardschat Elite
Silver Level
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Total posts
8,430
Chips
0
^^^ I dont think thats a coin your flipping :)

In response to someone who said a,k is most overated hand, I disagree, a/j is the most overated imo
 
roland cote

roland cote

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 14, 2007
Total posts
5,468
Chips
0
OK. But what the hecks a 4 2 rule?
 
S

sagebomb

Rising Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 26, 2008
Total posts
16
Chips
0
I win more often on AK then AA, stats say this should not be the case, but since it is i tend to play it better and win more. Much love for AK
 
Gallo

Gallo

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 24, 2007
Total posts
167
Chips
0
4-2 rule is to get a close estimate hitting outs. Very simply math is required

Assume you have 2d-3d - flop comes 7d-Jd- Ac
Under 4 rule you have approx 36% of hitting flush (9 d x 4)
and 60% to improve you hand

if a blank come out on the turn; multiply your odds by 2

I think this is it anyway lol im busy playing right now,

can someone confirm this?
 
B

badbeat46

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Mar 2, 2008
Total posts
12
Chips
0
Whats the math that says AK is 50-50 against any pair under KK?

ie. Theres 6 outs + combos or flushes/straights etc how is that 50%. I know it is cuz everyone says it is but I am not sure where those so few outs = 50%..

thanks
 
CAPT. ZIGZAG

CAPT. ZIGZAG

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Total posts
1,032
Chips
0
I am presently laying in about a gazillion graves which have a headstone that reads.

But it was an AK. *#%$ :D

-
 
kadafi

kadafi

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 28, 2007
Total posts
404
Chips
0
Which would you rather have AK OR QQ??
 
CAPT. ZIGZAG

CAPT. ZIGZAG

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Total posts
1,032
Chips
0
I dunno. Depends. They both scare the crap outa me.
 
Top