AK top hand what I am doing wrong

K

kalirain

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
Total posts
2
Chips
0
So I have been working on just playing top hands lately, I am still new to learning how to actually play with strategy. AK iz supposed to be a top hand, however when I play it I lose most every time. I do not know iz it position, bad betting, or that most the games I am in are online freerolls and people just donk out.
If anyone reads this and has tips I would like hearing them.
 
S

seghill

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 14, 2007
Total posts
236
Chips
0
you raise but care with all ins as you are a underdog against pairs.
Try to ensure you are against 1 other.
If after flop there is no A or K then, in position raise otherwise I call and see what is developing.
The raise can be met by another A, k or pair so the real problem can come if someone gets trips and plays it quietly, encouraging you to overbet.
 
J

joaonetoferreira

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Total posts
13
Chips
0
AK is a great hand since it is played against a maximum of 2 players , so I advise always to raise or 3bet
 
H

hffjd2000

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Total posts
2,329
Chips
0
So much discussion about this hand actually.

Its a strong hand but needs support on the board.

Agree to bet or raise to get the value of it.
 
edc1

edc1

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 5, 2016
Total posts
524
Chips
0
the only thing harder than learning how to play a-k for me was learning when to fold it-a-k has cost me many tourny,s thru the years-its a fickle beast to tame-you can over play it miss the flop and very fast find yourself in a wtf just happened position-dont get me wrong its a great pre-flop hand that deserves to be raised-i still play it that way when im dealt it-the only thing different for me was learning to fold it post-flop when i missed the flop and the other person in the hand hit the flop-i still get hardheaded once in awhile and refuse to fold it even knowing i should-grisped poker has a great vid on playing a-k very informative and for me clearly a vid i could have watched a few years earlier
 
Last edited:
naruto_miu

naruto_miu

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 31, 2007
Total posts
12,123
Awards
5
Chips
1
There are tons of things to factor Into a hand prior to the hand actually being played.

1) Stack sizes?
2) Villain tendencies?
3) Blind sizes? What stage of tourney, are you at? What's your M?

Different situations, call for different plays with AK? Same with different players, call for playing AK differently.

In short, AK isn't played the same way vs everyone. Same with AA, It all varies depending on the situations that a-rise.

Hope that helped somewhat. Also factor In what others think of you, and how they perceive your range?
 
J

joe777

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
May 3, 2014
Total posts
2,694
Chips
0
It still a speculative hands but useful towards late of mtts.
 
vjkask

vjkask

Rising Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 18, 2016
Total posts
17
Chips
0
AK better then AA, for me atleast
 
D

dejan85

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 7, 2015
Total posts
712
Chips
0
AK is strong hand you need one player in a hand bigger raise pre flop,and you should big raise on flop,if you have juste one player in a hand....
 
demibar

demibar

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Aug 4, 2015
Total posts
2,318
Awards
10
GR
Chips
102
AK its agreat hand 3bet its fine for me ,you can lose every hand even AA'S it depends how you play that hand how your opponents play your position...
 
D

dejan85

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 7, 2015
Total posts
712
Chips
0
when I play AK,i USUALLY put big raise,and hope juste one player in a hand ,not a more,and almoust never fold....depeands of flop.....
 
Fenix7

Fenix7

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 30, 2015
Total posts
205
Awards
1
Chips
1
With AK we must try to see the flop without committing to the pot.
On the Flop If I have connected I bet 3/4 or the Pot.
But if I have not connected I do a C-bet if I have been the pre-flop raiser I bet 55 - 60% Pot. If there is a Raise I abandon the cards. Without excuses.
 
SBEP

SBEP

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Total posts
298
Chips
0
Ak is a good hand nothing wrong with it, its only bad if u ran in to a small card flop turn and river, and if thats the case, fold it u are not married to it :D
always raise with it pre flop if u are hit back with a reraise if its not all in, flat it, and go from there, its very important to know to fold it if u feel u are behind
 
Dany_Style

Dany_Style

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 15, 2016
Total posts
117
Chips
0
AK is nice start hand,but its many thinks,position,the blinds,opponents,raise pre flop, 3 bet ? and now you look your hand and if your opponents give you information just think what have this player. if you have short stack this hand is verry good for push all in,and steal the blinds.
 
L

lordrobes

Rising Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Total posts
18
Chips
0
AK has great potential

AK is a hand with great potential (especially in NL holdem), but that is just it. It only has potential to be a made hand. It starts out as an underdog to all pocket pairs and if it doesn't hit the flop, then absolutely any other hand that did hit the flop can beat it unless you catch one of your 6 outs on the final two streets (assuming no one has already folded an A or K). If they happened to hit a straight or trips on the flop then you are likely dead in the water while still thinking your cards are live.

Conclusion: AK has great potential, it is not a great hand by itself.
 
Talden

Talden

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Total posts
2,064
Awards
4
Chips
0
Daniel Negraneu(spelling) said it well. AK are just two cards.
 
Vfranks

Vfranks

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Total posts
2,181
Awards
1
Chips
1
AK is just ace high unless you actually hit the board. You might just need to learn when to let it go.
 
fortopyan

fortopyan

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Total posts
377
Awards
1
Chips
9
Limp or coldcall instead of 3-bet - we lose the initiative in the drawing and do not receive full information about the strength of the enemy's hands;
Replaying the hand, inability to lose with misses in the board - AK certainly a monster - the first in strength among the unpaired combinations of board cards, but it does not mean that in the initial stage of the tournament, with a very small blind is to persist with misses in the board, especially against several opponents ;
Changing the bet sizing - it is not necessary to change your standard bet sizes with the advent of AK, at the micros observant players a little, but at the same time do not give additional information;
Overbet pushes - often seen as the newcomers with AK are not hitting the board or general pre-flop from "fear" or not knowing how to play on push AK. Yes, you will close mikrolimits "freeroll" any two opponents at the "pictures", but is it worth risking the entire stack to the blinds at 10-20?
Passive rally when hit the flop - no contradiction with the preceding paragraphs there. AK strong hand in poker. You should not slow-play it! hit - get with the worst hand!
 
Last edited:
P

ph_il

...
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Total posts
10,128
Awards
1
Chips
25
AK suited or unsuited is a very strong hand preflop and you should be raising/3betting preflop with this hand as often as you can. Like most big hands, you want to limit the number of players that see a flop against you, so raising to isolate is what you're looking for. Against almost all players, playing AK aggressively is much better than playing it passively.

Hitting and missing flops with AK:

AK is going to pair on the flop about 1/3 of the time, always giving you TP/TK which is often times the best hand at show down. Even if an A or K hits on a dry board, you should still c-bet as the aggressor because your opponents will call you with much worse on really standard c-bet looking flops. For example 88 might call a c-bet on an A 2 7 flop.

AK is going to miss the flop 2/3 of the time, but they still have equity to win the hand. If the flop is J 3 7, even though AK missed, being the aggressor and c-betting can easily pick up the pot. And if the opponent calls, you have a ~12% chance to hit the turn. ~24% chance if you can see a turn a river if you shove and get called, for example.

So, c-betting most flops with AK is going to earn you the pot more often than not even if you do miss it, but you have to keep in mind your opponents raising and 3bet calling range. The tighter the range, the less equity you have against them when c-bet on missed flops. The wider the range, the more equity you have.

AK vs other hands:

I think a common misunderstanding a lot of newer players have are the preflop odds to win with AK vs other hands.

67 is 40% to win against AK's 60%, but it only applies if you are guaranteed to see all 5 cards. Otherwise, AK has much more equity over 67 on most flops when both miss and even when 67 hits a single pair after calling a preflop and is facing c-bet aggression. Even on flop of 6-Q-2, it could be hard to call a c-bet with MP/WK since the turn can bring a lot of over cards that can shut it down, especially if AK fires a 2nd barrel.

The same goes for 22 vs AK. Yes, this is a classic race situation, but again, that only applies if all 5 cards are seen. AK as a lot of equity against 22 because 88% of the time over cards are going to flop. So, even if AK misses, it's very hard for 22 to continue on a 5-8-10 flop facing a c-bet.

A member said that 22 and QQ against AK is practically the same thing and this is not true at all. Yes, AK vs QQ is 50/50 preflop if all cards to be seen. However, AK doesn't have as much equity on a missed flop against QQ as it does 22. A 3-J-7 flop is going to be very hard for 22 to continue against a c-bet, but it's very easy for QQ to continue. Again, the tighter the raise/3bet calling range your opponent has, the less equity you have on missed flops.

Shoving vs calling shoves with AK

Aggression is the key when playing AK because you can either win it by having the best hand or by getting your opponent to fold. So, you would rather be one to be betting/shoving than being the one calling shoves on missed flops.

AK, on a missed flop, has ~24% chance of hitting on the turn or river when facing a shove. So, you'll need to be getting over 3.15:1 pot odds to make this call a profitable one. However, if we flip and we're the one's shoving with AK on a missed flop, say 7-J-3, we still have equity to hit when called, but make it hard for some hands to call with, like 55, so we gain when they fold. Being the aggressor gives us 2 ways to win vs only 1.

Whether you should standard c-bet missed flop or shove it with AK depends on effect stack sizes. If stacks are deep, then you're better off making a standard c-bet. You'll either win the pot uncontested and if your opponent calls, you can re-evaluate on the turn. However, with deep stacks, you don't want to shove on a missed flops because your opponent is still folding if they miss, but they're only calling your shove with hands that have you beat. Even with your ~24% to hit on turn or river, you're not getting the right pot odds to make this type of play profitable.

One thing I've started doing in the mid-late stages of MTTs where blinds and antes are high is open shoving and 3bet shoving with 30BBs and less preflop. It might seem like overkill to open shove AK with 30BBs, but you're getting called by a ton of weaker hands that you dominate (weaker AX/KX hands), in 50-50s vs 22-QQ, 60-40s vs all other non paired hands (that don't include an A or K), still have 30% equity vs KK, and only way behind AA. So, if you get your money in and getting called, you're very rarely in a terrible situation. I prefer doing this in the later stages when antes are big because the times you do pick up the pot uncontested, it's a more significant pad to your stack. Without antes, I drop down to shoving 20BBs and less with AK for the same reasons above.

On top of that, you're also gaining max value with AK when you do shove and get your opponent to commit their chips preflop. Again, you're very rarely in a terrible situation when you get your money in preflop with AK. Lets say you open shove 25BBs UTG with AK and you get a call. With blinds and antes, the pot is ~52BB.

-VS weaker AX/KX hands, you're picking up this pot 70% of the time.
-VS 22-QQ, you're picking up this pot 50% of the time
-VS non paired hands without an A or K, you're picking up the pot 60% of the time.
-VS KK, you're picking up the pot 30% of the time.
-VS AA, only 10% of the time.

So, if you can get your opponent to commit 25BBs with AQ preflop, this is great for you because you're winning that pot most of the time and picking up an extra 25+BBs. Compare this to standard raising say 3x BBs and your opponent calling. 2/3 of the time, your opponent misses the flop and is folding to a c-bet, so you only pick up a ~8BB pot and lose out on picking up on the other 22BBs your opponent would've committed preflop.

The same goes if your opponent has a hand like 55. They're only making a set 1-in-8 times and over cards are flopping most of the time vs small pairs, so they're likely folding to any c-bet and you're picking up a small pot. However, getting your opponent to commit their chips preflop and you being in a 50-50 with AK situation is great for you.

So, do what it takes to get all of your and all of your opponents chips in preflop, because, again, you're very rarely in a terrible situation when you do.
 
S

suricato35

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 12, 2015
Total posts
104
Chips
0
The major mistake when playing AK is not knowing when to let it go. When u hit it, its a monster. When the board comes low - let's say 2/5/8 its fine to barrel the flop, as a semi-bluff (u still have 8 outs if the guy calls ur bet, and mlst times u'll win right there). But, when u see a flop that comes like Q/9/8, u're in an extremely hard position, u have to be very careful, cause u still only have A high, and this flop is very dangerous.
Then, if facing a bet, its fine to let it go.

AK is a very strong hand, but u have to know how to play it
 
B

B1BOMBER

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Total posts
1,139
Awards
2
Chips
67
So I have been working on just playing top hands lately, I am still new to learning how to actually play with strategy. AK iz supposed to be a top hand, however when I play it I lose most every time. I do not know iz it position, bad betting, or that most the games I am in are online freerolls and people just donk out.
If anyone reads this and has tips I would like hearing them.
I find it depends on the game. If its a freeroll you won't get pocket 2s out even with a big stick. In that situation I make no raise til I catch. In a real money tourney or cash game a raise of value will garner more respect. So I would play the situation. In a freeroll I would rather say DAMN if I would have caught the turn or river, than say S**T when I went out to pocket 2s.:D
 
B

BullWink

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Total posts
277
Chips
0
I've heard it said that with AK you win small but loose big. Don't play them like you can't loose, or you will end up paying for it.
 
P

ph_il

...
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Total posts
10,128
Awards
1
Chips
25
I've heard it said that with AK you win small but loose big. Don't play them like you can't loose, or you will end up paying for it.
This is wrong.

You or whoever said that is probably just playing AK incorrectly.
 
maniaka68

maniaka68

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Total posts
109
Chips
0
Ak is a great but its a dangerous hand raise 3 bet against one two player.If players aremore be smart
 
D

diserg1

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Total posts
38
Chips
0
AK is a great pocket card
AK you need to play with caution, but with aggression.
 
Starting Hands - Poker Hand Nicknames Rankings - Poker Hands
Top