$2 NLHE 6-max: AK vs AQ in a big pot, was I too agressive?

At the last session, I've played a big pot AK vs AQ and doubled my stack, but I can't get the feeling that I may have played it overly agressive.

Dealt to Hero [Ad Kc]
UTG raises $0.02 to $0.04
MP: folds
Cutoff: folds
Button : raises $0.12 to $0.16
Hero : calls $0.15
BB : folds
UTG : calls $0.12
*** FLOP *** [4h 9s 2s]
Hero : checks
UTG : bets $0.06
Button : folds
Hero : raises $0.30 to $0.36
UTG : calls $0.30
*** TURN *** [4h 9s 2s] [Ah]
Hero : bets $0.60
UTG : calls $0.60
*** RIVER *** [4h 9s 2s Ah] [7h]
Hero : bets $1.11 and is all-in
UTG : calls $1.11
Hero : shows [Ad Kc] (a pair of Aces)
UTG : shows [Ac Qs] (a pair of Aces - lower kicker)
Hero collected $4.48 from pot

I gotta say, I really hate playing AKo OOP, but it's AK, so I have to. I just came to this table and I had no information on my opponents, but even then, I think I should've 3-bet, but I didn't. The fact that he minraised the pot tells me that he most likely has either a small suited ace, A10, AJ, AQ or connectors. He calls, so I'm determined it should be A10, AJ or AQ. Some suited connectors maybe too. I miss the flop and am about to check/fold when the fishy UTG makes such a small bet and the pre-flop agressor just folds. I just have to raise this bet, and after hesitation he makes the call. When I get an Ace I continue betting it strong. He called all my bets up to the river and showed AQ.


So how was this play? I know I had it wrong pre-flop, but how was post-flop?

Pre-Flop: 4bet. Raise him up to around .45-.55. The reason you are looking to raise here is 1 - to get some hands that are a little ahead of you (pocket pairs) to fold out and take the pot. You also may get calls from worse hands (AQ,AJ,KQ). Calling OOP to a 3bet is no good. And it puts you in a strange situation on the flop. You don't really have a solid idea of what your opponent has and you are likely to be in a multi-way pot when you really want to be heads up. So a 4bet here is good.

Flop: I DO NOT LIKE this check raise. It is just a super strong move and you have no idea what the range of your opponents is here. Especially UTG. That guy could have a ton of stuff - and if he somehow has like a 56 or a spade draw then you're not going to get a fold. A spade draw with no pairs is ahead of you right now. If you raise pre-flop then you can potentially cbet here, but you don't really need to. just check call the flop there if the bet is normalish in size. -edit- against a single opponent this is a good board to cbet. If I 4bet preflop then I would cbet here 100% of the time against a single opponent.

Turn: I guess a bet here is fine. But man UTG is repping a hand there. check call a reraise on the flop and then calls the turn. With no information on this guy I am worried.

River: Check here. what is your reason for betting? Especially all in. There is not really anything here telling you this guy is that weak. If you have some more information on him then a shove could be okay- but its thin. Most people are not calling that shove with a bare A. They would need two pair or better to make that call, so you are a loser against mose ranges that call your shove. In this case he happened to make the call with the bottom of his likely range. I would honestly rather check here and let him bluff at me. That gives him the chance to bet with his missed draws and weaker A's. Sometimes those hands will just check - but those guys would have likely folded to a shove anyway. This villain is pretty passive, so maybe a shove is okay. I would still rather check call here - I think you get more worse hands to showdown by checking.

Well, the 4-bet seems reasonable, but at micro's people often tend to 3-bet with JJ+ and they're not going anywhere without yhe flop. Now, if I choose to c-bet the flop how should I size it? And also how should I size my c-bets in general? And what if I get raised? Should I just muck my hand at that point or try to 3-bet? If I get called, is it smart to second barrel?

His call was instant when I made that bet on the Ace, so I figured either he had a weaker ace, or his kicker paired. Also, if I check the river and the villain bets, should I move in or call? Given his passive play throughout the hand, it seems like he wants to take this hand to the showdown as cheap as possible. Even if he made a bet, it would probably be very small in relation to the pot which wouldn't impact his decision making when I check-raise all in my hand.

SwiftHax said:

Well, the 4-bet seems reasonable, but at micro's people often tend to 3-bet with JJ+ and they're not going anywhere without yhe flop. Now, if I choose to c-bet the flop how should I size it? And also how should I size my c-bets in general? And what if I get raised? Should I just muck my hand at that point or try to 3-bet? If I get called, is it smart to second barrel?

His call was instant when I made that bet on the Ace, so I figured either he had a weaker ace, or his kicker paired. Also, if I check the river and the villain bets, should I move in or call? Given his passive play throughout the hand, it seems like he wants to take this hand to the showdown as cheap as possible. Even if he made a bet, it would probably be very small in relation to the pot which wouldn't impact his decision making when I check-raise all in my hand.

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Yeah, at the micro's people do tend to 3bet with JJ+, I play across a lot of stakes and have recently been moving through the micro's as an experiment. I don't play poker for income, so I have the ability to do that.

That said, people at the micro's do 3bet wider than just JJ+ they also do it with AJ+ and TT, sometimes other pocket pairs I see people 3bet sometimes with KQs as well. So get it out of your head that people only 3bet with the most premium holdings.
Additionally, if people are 3betting with JJ and not folding that is good, because then we know they will get it all in against QQ+, which means getting it all in preflop with QQ+, and AK is good. I don't mind shoving with AK preflop. If they have JJ and an A hits the flop then your not getting much more action anyway.

For a flop c-bet I vary it depending on what I am doing. This is crucial at the micro's because people don't adjust for bet sizing. if its a value cbet then make it pot sized. If it is to get a fold then do 1/2-2/3s of the pot depending on how much equity you have.

If you are raised on the flop you really need to consider who your opponent is. If you know nothing about them it is probably correct to fold. However if you have a lot of equity (straight/flush draws) you can probably shove to his raise on the flop, because some of the time he will fold and the rest of the time you may win even when you are behind because of your outs.

I am going to assume that on the turn you have again missed, and have been checked to, so in this instance you are in position... I just don't feel like writing a book on this subject at the moment. So if he checks it to you on the turn when you have not improved you are likely best off just checking behind. you keep control of the size of the pot and then have an opportunity to do something on the river, if you want. Position means you get to be in control and make the last decision. If the river blanks again you can either bet - if you think your opponent will likely fold - and can adjust your bet size accordingly- or you can just check behind because sometimes your AK is still the best hand.

4bet pre.

Check raising looks awful here and your trapping yourself even against the weakest of players. Lots of players will call it with strong draws. and a lot of the hands you dominate will fold.

I think the best bet is just keep leading out and if he keeps calling your chances your infront and you stack off. More opponents the more risk of your hand holding up.

If he re-raises it's a different story, but if he comes out strong and u lose you have to make sure you note that player as a calling station so you don't do the same mistake again.

Aces2w1n said:

4bet pre.

Check raising looks awful here and your trapping yourself even against the weakest of players. Lots of players will call it with strong draws. and a lot of the hands you dominate will fold.

I think the best bet is just keep leading out and if he keeps calling your chances your infront and you stack off. More opponents the more risk of your hand holding up.

If he re-raises it's a different story, but if he comes out strong and u lose you have to make sure you note that player as a calling station so you don't do the same mistake again.

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Well, I didn't 4-bet the hand at which point I will c-bet most of the time. Isn't AK strong hand when in multiway? You need to pair your cards in order to win most of the time, so it makes your oponnents harder to make a hand as compared to Aces, you don't need much to improve and going multiway is a catastrophe to your equity.

If you don't like playing AK OOP, then you're not going to like it in a 3-bet pot. You have a button 3bet, that even at the micros will be a wider than normal 3-bet range. So 4-bet pre. As played, don't CR that flop mult-way, just lead or give up.

I mean look at how the hand played and what your opponents are doing. You cold called a 3-bet OOP and he decided to flat your flop CR with A high. I doubt he was trying to level you and re-steal at some point. He just genuinely doesn't know what he's doing. So play solid poker and the money will flow right into your BR.

John A said:

...He just genuinely doesn't know what he's doing. So play solid poker and the money will flow right into your BR.

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Truer words were never spoken

Übercroz assessment is 100% on point

Except I don't dislike the check raise on the flop, I hate it

That move is going to cost you a lot of money, at any level really


Risks your chips and acxomplishes nothinf