Playing AK as SB?

Whats the best way to play big slick when your the small blind and have a couple limpers...

This has come up a few times to me and im unsure exactly how to play hands like AK and AQs when im the small blind so im first to act on the flop and i have a couple limpers infront of me.

In these cases i end up raising assuming that the limpers are fairly weak and are loose players. Then the end up calling my raise, and in most cases the flop does not hit me.

I mostly put out a C-bet depending how many players are in the hand and the texture of the flop, but in the low stakes that i play most of these players are just unpredictable...

I posted a similar question awhile back on playing AQ from the SB and I got some good responses - here's a link to that thread -AQ from the SB

Hope this helps somewhat.

You have 2 things going here in your favor.
1-Very possible you have the best hand
2-You will be first to act

The PF raise is natural. It the flop comes without hitting you but still has potential then a c-bet is also natural. If however the flop comes 567 it is a very bad flop for you. Many would argue that with that flop it is unlikely that anyone stayed in after a PF raise with any of those cards, but my experience is there are both enough donks, and enough good players who will play low connectors that low flops are NOT the flops you want to be C-betting into. You will run into a lot of players who will bet heavy into low flops holding big cards, but IMO it is unwise.

The 'first in Vigorish', is a term you will run across that basically means the first person to act gives himself an advantage and is the basis of the C-Bet. And either real or imagined it does affect everyone else at the table.

dj11 said:

The 'first in Vigorish', is a term you will run across that basically means the first person to act gives himself an advantage and is the basis of the C-Bet. And either real or imagined it does affect everyone else at the table.

Click to expand...

Expanding on that this generally this is definitely not imagined. The reason the preflop raiser gets respect is because his range is simply stronger. You raise with all monsters and then however many mid-strength hands you raise with. Someone who simply calls preflop should do this with JJ+/AQ+ and sometimes even a bit wider. This weakens their range considerably as they now cannot have a premium pair or other top hands.

Basically if I raise preflop and you call, I have a better hand on average. Sure it's possible I raised with 78s and you called with JQs or something, but just based on the fact that your range does not include JJ+/AQ+ and mine does means mine is a lot stronger. This is the reason that say the flop comes 9TJ monotone we usually don't cbet. Our QQ+ all of a sudden isn't even all that great and 9T, TJ, 9J, 78, KQ, xxs for flopped flush, along with all the draws they now flopped with say pair+FD, OESD+FD, over combinations, etc. make the flat calling range probably now even stronger than our raising range depending on our position.

Anyway, back to the OP especially if we're getting calls, I bump this up a ton. I do 3x+ 1 per limper + 1-2 when I'm oop. So say you get 3 limpers in a .25/.50 game I'll bump it up to like $3.50 in this spot. Remember AK has the best equity with all 5 cards to come so we want to get the max amount of money and FE before we see a flop.

all in

if its early in a tourney and you know the donks are in heards still all around you is put up a very high bet id say atleast half of your chips and if they all fold oh well you won a few chippies anyway.if you get a caller know matter what i always check for the turn unless you hit think they have or are waiting for a draw too get you then puttem allin sometimes you just gotta do this buy your gut feeling exp if you know this mule who called is always calling check anyway let him raise knowing you have him or atleast thinking the balls in your court its time to sendem over board push all in.if its late in the game well if you wanna go for the kill see the cards have been hitting you then its a automatic all in now if you have been getting good cards but still getting out drawn just check it down sometimes you cant win know matter what a great hand you start off with you are always out drawn then just either fold but dont put all your chips up others know that your on bad streak there gonna expose you and clean all your chips or cash i hope this helps you good luck.

I will always consider this a drawing hand that can get you in big trouble very very quickley. Nothing wrong with a small feeler raise to see the flop. Had this very hand this afternoon at the final table of a S&G. Bumped up to steal and the chip leader goes all in with a pair of 7's. I'm in second place at the time. Called and it didn't work out. Should have been a an auto fold on my part and sit and wait for a better oppertunity.

it happens to me all the time

yep. i have this dilema quite often. I always, well almost always seem to get the big slick, put in a moderate raise to get the bs out, then get called. next a 3 5 7 comes on the flop and someone will hit 2 pair or 1 pair or.......etc. I have to fold these hands much more than i want, and i should fold them even more than i do. i play in low stakes and freerolls so the donks with 4 6 are endless. lol gl all.(unless ur playing me) lol

I don't like AK much its a drawing hand, if its early in the tourney, I keep the pot small so I can get away, later if there's limper's and I'm in the SB and there's some money in the pot, I will raise all in to hope to take it down right there as long as this move will allow a good return on my investment, you aren't in bad shape unless someone holding AA or KK. I have folded this had in a raise reraise situation and was in BB, was up against shortstacked K 10 and AA, was hoping to raise the shortstack but knew I was up against a big hand when the reraise came in and was right was a good fold.

good question tough spot.. in a cash game yu might jus want to slow play it by smooth calling. in a tourny u want to raise it like normal an not worry about position.. an fold when u dont hit