OVERRATING AK

Frontiere

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Have feeling that lots of players overrating AK in tournament games ,specialy in preflop. If flop isnt good ( example - 3 7 J ) they still push with AK. I find it easy to fold here , but play with lots of players who cant fold AK nomatter what flop is.I play AK preflop all in only if Im shortctacked or have more then double chips of oponents.In the end of the day , pocket pair could kill AK easy.
 
horizon12

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If flop isnt good ( example - 3 7 J ) they still push with AK

With this I do not agree, who told you ? Good players always do cbet around 30% of the pot if dry board, only bad players can shove. Regulars will not play postflop with AK when short stack, they always shove when stack less 14bb... If our stack around 20bb, we can raise only 2bb, and in we missed flop, you can do only small cbet and fold if villain raise you....
 
el_magiciann

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AK must be played strong and agresive post flop even if we miss, but it depends on the player at all, you can win the pot on the flop by making cb or even check raising players that won't be calling check raise with only middle pocket pair. But at all the play with missed AK on orphan flop like 3 7 J rainbow depends very much on your playing style and your image at the table.
 
el_magiciann

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Actually orphan flop is flop like 337 or 885 all rainbow, but for me 3 7 J rainbow is also orphan flop :D
 
Frontiere

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With this I do not agree, who told you ? Good players always do cbet around 30% of the pot if dry board, only bad players can shove. Regulars will not play postflop with AK when short stack, they always shove when stack less 14bb... If our stack around 20bb, we can raise only 2bb, and in we missed flop, you can do only small cbet and fold if villain raise you....
So many times I see players miss the flop with AK , and they still push 50-60 % of flop raise , or all in after flop .If I have 10 10 or smaller pair , they busted. I said in tournament , not cash game.
 
naruto_miu

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What If you're 100bbs deep in the very first hand, and UTG opens 2x pot, do you flat with AK or do you 3bet?

If you choose to 3bet AK preflop, and C.O 4bet shoves (Very first hand), than what? Do you fold AK here or do you call?

If you go with the approach of flatting and C.O still chooses to 3bet AK, and It goes back to the UTG player, than this is inviting more players post flop with you holding AK? Do you than 4bet or flat?

So I want to understand, what your approach would be in scenarios such as these?
 
Frontiere

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What If you're 100bbs deep in the very first hand, and UTG opens 2x pot, do you flat with AK or do you 3bet?

If you choose to 3bet AK preflop, and C.O 4bet shoves (Very first hand), than what? Do you fold AK here or do you call?

If you go with the approach of flatting and C.O still chooses to 3bet AK, and It goes back to the UTG player, than this is inviting more players post flop with you holding AK? Do you than 4bet or flat?

So I want to understand, what your approach would be in scenarios such as these?

Like i said , if i miss the flop , and someone raise in early stages I will fold
 
naruto_miu

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Like i said , if i miss the flop , and someone raise in early stages I will fold

So you're general approach to AK is not to 3bet period early on but flat? See the flop and go from that point on, correct? So you'd fold to the shove than, correct?
 
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Agree on my part, AK is an overrated hand.

After all, AK is not a made hand except with the help of the community cards.
 
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that's the problem, they still push you after a weak flop because they want to scare you or act like you are bluffing... they are misplaying by not folding a weak hand post flop
 
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14twinsfan18

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I have no problem folding AK unless the bet appears very weak. On a small bet, I still play it out hoping to hit something on the turn that will make the other player think I couldn't have an A or K. Especially if there are a few callers to create better odds.
 
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So you're general approach to AK is not to 3bet period early on but flat? See the flop and go from that point on, correct? So you'd fold to the shove than, correct?

Yap , something like that , if I miss the flop with Ak I usualy fold on raise ( except if I have more than double chips of oponent )
 
Himanshu

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If you are playing to win then fold AK after all most of the poker hands go to show down most often then not. lol
 
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AK is the hand i leave most tournaments with if i am short stacked. it's rather annoying when you get called by pockets 3s or something.
 
jtholdm

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AK

AK is one of those catch 22 hands if I am on the button I will 2 bet or 3 bet with them depending on table condition and reading the other players, Ina tournament it just depends on the aggressiveness of the table and what the players are betting with. I do usually raise 30% of my stack with this hand. It has seemed lately that when i go all in with this hand someone has AA LMAO If i am up against donks I will shive it because I know my decision was correct
 
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I realy like more 22 then AK . Or I like to play against players who cant fold AK , nomatter what flop is , like them a lot.
 
punctual

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Like i said , if i miss the flop , and someone raise in early stages I will fold

I don't think that is the correct play. I think it is important to cbet here most of the time in order to extract maximum value from your AK's over the long run: in many cases, you will still have the best hand with AK. Sometimes folding is the right thing to do but always folding is probably a mistake
 
jtholdm

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AK

I have noticed in the bigger tournaments with more moey at stake that AK will be more respected than if you go inot a 3.00 buy in. Today online game has changed and you will most likely get called any way or be forced to shove with a lesser hand from your opponent
 
IoutplayedYou

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Aggression pre flop in MTT's

What If you're 100bbs deep in the very first hand, and UTG opens 2x pot, do you flat with AK or do you 3bet?

If you choose to 3bet AK preflop, and C.O 4bet shoves (Very first hand), than what? Do you fold AK here or do you call?

If you go with the approach of flatting and C.O still chooses to 3bet AK, and It goes back to the UTG player, than this is inviting more players post flop with you holding AK? Do you than 4bet or flat?

So I want to understand, what your approach would be in scenarios such as these?
aggression

In a turbo or turbo with rebuys (3-8 min blind levels) I may want to be gambling here with AK. It is only behind against AA and KK and a flip with all other pairs, and ahead of a decent amount of other hands AQ, KQ, etc. In a non turbo (say 10-60 min blind levels) tournament, easy fold to the 4 bet shove. even if they have QQ, JJ, or even AQ, do you really need to be gambling for your tournament life pre flop, No.
 
IoutplayedYou

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I realy like more 22 then AK . Or I like to play against players who cant fold AK , nomatter what flop is , like them a lot.

AK is really a monster compared to 22. You almost have to hit a set to win with 22 where as with AK you can be winning the pot in many different ways. How often are you going to showdown with 22 with almost any board texture thinking I know my opponent has AK high, not very often.
 
LeanAndMean

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In Super system, Brunson say that AK is such a powerful hand you should go all in preflop, because if the flop does not hit you, you may chicken out and fold. I often go all in preflop
 
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AK is really a monster compared to 22. You almost have to hit a set to win with 22 where as with AK you can be winning the pot in many different ways. How often are you going to showdown with 22 with almost any board texture thinking I know my opponent has AK high, not very often.

in this case 22 is the same of QQ men, AK is a very good hand but only if you hit the flop, if not you can call the turn (easy bet) or fold if they make you a a big one
 
IoutplayedYou

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So you're general approach to AK is not to 3bet period early on but flat? See the flop and go from that point on, correct? So you'd fold to the shove than, correct?

This is a matter of balancing your range and mixing up your playing style. If you are playing tight aggressive with a balanced range in a MTT where aggression is of the upmost importance, AK is a big hand. You want to be 3 betting sometimes flatting other times, adding balance to your range. And think about all other factors: position, opponents position, blinds, stack size in relation to the BB, etc.
 
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Prophet

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AK is a very good hand. the mistake witch some players often do is that they over bet for no reason. I many times fold AK if there are 2 ore more all-ins before me. of course in the early stage or on the bubble, many times in the midd stage if I know I am beat or there is no way i can bluff. And I discovered that value betting with AK in the right spot is more effective than showing.
 
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