AK is such a trouble hand

especially in cash games

I am curious if you guys reraise preflop with AK ?

what if you are already been reraised ? do you still continue raising or even go all in ?

Baldy86 said:

especially in cash games

I am curious if you guys reraise preflop with AK ?

what if you are already been reraised ? do you still continue raising or even go all in ?

Click to expand...

Always open in EP, 3B in LP.

AK is a very poor card in a deep chip game such as cash, because AK can not form a big card type is generally TPTK and the opponent will not take a card type with a worse win rate than AK. The suggestion is not to overplay AK in cash

I think A-K is an excellent starting hand. At the same time, I try not to get too carried away with it. I'm not really trying to get all my chips in pre-flop with it. I'm obvious going to raise with it, but not to try to build a massive pot, but to limit the number of players in the hand. So do I 3-bet with it? Not necessarily. It depends on how many players are in the hand. If someone min raises and there are a couple of callers, than I might 3-bet to try to get some of them out. But again, I'm not trying to get too carried away with it. I don't really want to commit too many chips with it before I see a flop. While it is a really good starting hand, let's not forget that it is just a really good starting hand.

After reraise I will pay , but it depends on the pot. If it is a massive pot and I am playing with more people , I will put all in.

In such cases, I call and look at the flop. Further on the circumstances.

Hi there,
First let's consider UTG opening range, if he's opening with 77+,A2s+,KTs+,QTs+,JTs,AJo+,KQo wich is 12% of the time, than with AKo you're about 60% favorite, and when you have that equity you want to put more money in the pot by a reraising. It's +EV, and you can win the pot right away if he just fold.
If UTG 4-bet you with the top of his range, JJ+,AKs,AKo than he will be 60% favorite against AKo and 58% against AKs, here you can just call and see the flop if it bring some A, K, flush or straght draw.
Finally you have to track your results to see if you have to make some adjustment/balancing when playing on the limits you're in. for example if you know that your opponent is holding a weaker A on a board like A59 you just keep it in the pot by calling down preflop to the river.

I believe AK is definitely a trouble hand in cash games. People are usually looking to hit sets, so in cash games when you hit an ace or king you normally won't win a big pot but if you do hit an ace or king and are up against a set it can be very hard to fold. Hence there's much danger of losing a big pot.

I think so. However, it has an equity to make strong pairs (AA & AK). Therefore, It´s a trouble hand with good equity.

with a stack of 100bb I call and watch the flop from 50bb and play less on the stack.

Hi with AK, I’m waiting and I hope that the opponent will actively call and raise. And after the raise, I immediately go all in. I think AK is a great hand.

Tournament is great, but in cash games.... is hard to find a good way to play with

Baldy86 said:

especially in cash games

I am curious if you guys reraise preflop with AK ?

what if you are already been reraised ? do you still continue raising or even go all in ?

Click to expand...

AK is a hand that depends on the hit on the flop, so regardless of the tournament, I try to play the flop to see if I do well, if there is a pre-flop allin, I try to analyze the opponent's stack and decide.

AK

I am losing more than i winn with ak

IntenseHeat said:

I think A-K is an excellent starting hand. At the same time, I try not to get too carried away with it. I'm not really trying to get all my chips in pre-flop with it. I'm obvious going to raise with it, but not to try to build a massive pot, but to limit the number of players in the hand. So do I 3-bet with it? Not necessarily. It depends on how many players are in the hand. If someone min raises and there are a couple of callers, than I might 3-bet to try to get some of them out. But again, I'm not trying to get too carried away with it. I don't really want to commit too many chips with it before I see a flop. While it is a really good starting hand, let's not forget that it is just a really good starting hand.

Click to expand...

Exactly my thoughts on the matter too. A-K is a strong start and we should play it for value, but we do not want to get carried away with it. Deep-stacked poker changes things a little bit. Certain hands like A-K are not as great, but other hands seem to play better at deeper stacks. Suited connector hands is a great example of this. Don't go crazy with them either, but at deep stacked games, these suited connectors are more likely to continue at a good price and they are seldom ever dominated.

It is a good hand to raise or call a raise on. David Sklansky had a few books and videos that basically said, you are more likely to be all in with that hand. Post flop you don't know where you are at if it misses. That why the all in comment came from.

I play a fair bit of short stacked cash and its a all in for me. Limp in if in early position then all in against a raise. Always willing to shove it

It all depends on the stack, if the stack is deep, then I can throw this hand out.The game has a lot of factors that affect the decisions of a hand.But in most cases I play aggressively with this hand.

Well if you stop to think is one of the best hand pre flop on poker you know.. of course after the flop it can be kinda tricky if you can't give up on this hand if you find out that it may not be the best one anymore
But I kinda like playing AK

AK is always a great starting hand. It can lose in value tremendeously after the flop but then you should play it accordingly and including all new circumstances into your decision.

caracaski220

It is a trouble hand for sure . It seems strong. But I love watching the young guys allways going all in with AK. I dont undersatnd it . At best its a flip, and in most casrs is a losser percentage wise. Why risk it all on an unfavoravle flip. Be aggresive allways make the raise but later hold up and set the trap or get out if you miss the board against a shove.

AK is good late game for flipping or early but if not played right sometimes it gets you into trouble. Its not AA though so you wont always win flipping with it. need to play it aggressive though no matter what.

PB1981 said:

I am losing more than i winn with ak

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I really cant count the times where I was busted from a tournament with AK all in preflop despite being favorite anymore

Unless it’s all in preflop AK is unfortunately not always rewarding so I have learned to get away from it. Rather lose some chips then all. Some folds are not easy to make but they are the correct decision.

Ace king standard shoving hand of your low on chips.