different approach to AK

OK i got sick of losing my money with AK so for one tournament I decided to try it a different way. I was playin in a sit n go the other day and I was 2nd or 3rd stack, point was I had chips, and I tried this twice, I had two different results but got into the situation I wanted to both times.
Now please don't lambast me for this, just wanted thoughts and input, i'm perfectly aware of the dangers of not raising with a premium hand, just wanted to hear others thoughts on this because it seemed to be effective for me (atleast for these two hands)
Ok like I said, I got sick of losing too many chips with AK when I had a decent stack in the middle rounds of a tourney so when I picked up this hand in early to middle position I just called with it both times, looking to see if I could try and get a better idea of which players (and their stack sizes) I might be up against in the hand. Both times I ended up getting a raise all in by smaller stacks (maybe 1/5 to 1/4 my stack size) and folded around to me I called both times, (I might/probably would have folded this hand had the all ins been by stacks that I feared in order to continue in the tournament---I lose more chips with AK than any other hand and i've tried to play it many different ways) One time the guy turned up A-10 and sucked out a 10, the other time someone turned up A-J and I took his chips. But the point is both times I managed to get into really good dominating situations, didn't risk many chips to begin with, and gave myself the option to get away from the hand for very little depending on who I was going to be up against. Keep in mind this strategy is mostly strictly for the middle rounds of a tourney, and only when I have a sizable stack that I would like to protect/build, when the smaller stacks seem to be trying to make moves to get closer to the money (it seems like many players will make this move with A-J A-10 A-Q etc etc) nor would I really mind being up against queens or lower considering the stack size of the raiser.
Thoughts?

I do this every once in a while, if I'm on a table where small stacks are constantly going all in. It's a good strategy, but not for cash games.generally with premium hands you want to protect them and make people pay to see the flop. Letting just anyone limp in and hit two pairs to beat you is not the best idea. But if you're confident someone will raise, then sure, checkraise him or call his all in.

If you really want to see how taking this approach would affect your play, you should get a bigger sample size than two hands.

But eventually you're going to have to be aggressive with the better starting hands. It will help more if you reviewed the hands you felt you lost the majority of your chips with, with AK in the middle sections of the tourneys, because after you lose just a few hands with this tactic, it's going to have the same psychological effect.

Maybe post your losing hands and see what other people think.


But then again it's great to mix things up once in awhile, nobody is supposed to play the same cards the same way every single time.

I think in most of today's games, especially low stake sit-in-goes, you damed if you do and damed if you don't, so how ever you play them is ok. AK is a drawing hand, but I'm finding that even playing pocket A's, there are some people that are going to call no matter what. As I type I just opened the betting 5 times the big blind with pocket J's only to lose to a guy calling with A 5 off and catching a straight. Play how you feel to change things up...and good luck.

It`s a viable tactic, as long as you don`t overdo it, and assuming you have the discipline to lay it down if you don`t hit.

I played AK the same way myself in a tourney a couple of hours ago.

So if you are in MP and limp AK....say the CO shoves his remaining stack (4bb), the button calls and both blinds call, what are you doing then? Are you limp calling or limp re-raising or limp folding? Don't think it will be profitable in the long haul to play AK in a multi-way pot.....and I sure would hate limp folding AK seems kinda weak. A lot of the value from AK comes from its fold equity which does not exist when we limp it. I agree with Poker Dave that as a balancing hand we should limp call with it occasionally if we are playing against aware players....not sure those exist (at least not at my stakes). I would be glad to look over some AK hand histories for you....just let me know.

See here for an understanding of how to play AK... deviate as you see fit...

aliengenius said:

I posted these thoughts in another thread, but I think they are worth repeating 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?

Click to expand...

My deal with big slick all depends on what game i'm playing in. always play situational poker and think about wether or not your opponents will give you respect for a good hand or if they think they can play pocket 4s and beat ya. and if you dont hit the flop and are first to act... bet, if raised i'd probably fold. If you are last to act and bet into, decide if they are trying to steal the pot or if they have made a hand and react appropriately.

for 100 bbs im shipping AK like no matter what lol

AK has lost me more than any other hand... just two examples from a cash game I was playing recently

early position with AKo I raise about 10x BB (seems like a lot but that was pretty standard at this table) and only the button calls. Flop comes K - 5 - 2 and i shove in another 30+ BB and get called. Turn comes 6 river 2... button had 34s... proper donk.

Another hand (same session) with AK spades, hit my ace on the flop and there's 2 diamonds. I shove and get called by an offsuit AK which also had the K diamond... 2 more diamonds follow and I lose everything.

What a horrible day that was

I snap fold AK everytime.

If I'm opening the pot, I'm going to raise with AK every time. I'd consider just calling a previous raise with it rather than re-reraising though, depending on stack size & table position.

Now if it's SUITED....

I think u shouldn always raise pre-flop with slick-that way u can auto bet after flop and take down more than half of those pots.about pot raise after flop should tell u where u stand