When to fold AK preflop ?

vox1er

vox1er

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Hello guys,

I just did some calculations on ICMIZER and saw that after a 4x UTG and a shove MP for 30BB, we are to fold AKo and call AKs when speaking after with no ICM considered (still far from the money). So I was wondering when do you guys fold AK pre ?
 
TheRealPage

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I always try to avoid multi way pots with AK, off or suited..

if I shove and I got 2 calls, there's nothing I can do there, but if I call a multi way pot, it's because it doesn't cost more then the 1/3 of my stack or I'm very confident about my reading and know my opponent can shove with 10-2!

Also, when I suspect a previous caller/raiser of calling the shot when I'm not last to act, I will fold AK.

iCMiZER is a good reference, but there's also the "game factor" that needs to be considered..

Yesterday, 3 times AK off in 4 hands.. I played the first two and folded the third.. Fot that last one, I was HJ and a very quiet mid position raised 5x.. logic would tell me here to shove over the raise, but wait.. why the h* is he raising so high, him so quiet usually..? Also, won twice in a row with AK.. Well I was losing the third one against pocket aces. Maybe playing with another opponent, with a different reading, I would have snap shoved over or called..

If you use a tracker, try to check your wins/losts when you flip with AK.. it can give you hints on what to watch when playing it..

AK is a good hand, but still, it's 2 live cards..

-TRP-
 
vra4a

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hard, maybe if there are two player all-in front of me
 
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tomk7788

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Three Bet AKo or AKs all in when you're short stacked, say 25 BBs or less. Probably not a good idea to get it all in for 100 BBs after two 100 BB stacks are all in ahead of you.
 
JBGoode

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Really the only time I can think of folding AK pre is when ICM is coming into play.
 
This Fish Chums

This Fish Chums

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Folding AK is not hard for me . . . sometimes. If I have the player covered and only have to risk 1/4th to 1/3rd of my chips then it's a no-brainer call. But if calling is going to eliminate or cripple me then I try to fold, even if I led out the betting. You only want to get your money in good and if someone is going all-in you're really hoping for a race and you'd be behind in a race.
That said, I never really follow my own rules, so yeah, call away.
 
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Darth_Moola

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If I see a situation like the one you described and the players are remotely decent. I automatically fold. It's just a bad situation to be in a multiway pot with AK.
 
Collin Moshman

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Hello guys,

I just did some calculations on ICMIZER and saw that after a 4x UTG and a shove MP for 30BB, we are to fold AKo and call AKs when speaking after with no ICM considered (still far from the money). So I was wondering when do you guys fold AK pre ?

Great question. One thing to keep in mind with a spot like this is that the shover's range is usually capped. What that means is that if he had a hand like AA, there's a good chance he would try to get more action by making a smaller reraise or possibly even flatting.

So with no ICM and no reads, I would usually get it in here with AKo even though I agree it's not an amazing spot!
 
perrywh

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I fold ako or suited in multi pot unless im the chip leader.
 
finaltable1

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Satellite to SCOOP
13 tickets + 3 more places paid with cash. 16 total places paid.
2 full tables left, 18 players.
I'm on SB holding AA, 3rd by chips.
Button ALL IN 40% of my stack
I call
BB ALL IN 50% of my stack
I call

SB=JQo, me AA, BB=AKo
board: 3 7 Q J T
BB hits straight, SB 2 pair and goes out, I'm left with 20% = 6bb and I'm blinded out in 17th place.

AK? Well, sometimes it's better to fold Aces... was 3rd with virtual ticket in my pocket, and wen't out 17th with nothing. Thanks to aces, donks and pokerstars for the lesson.
 
tauri103

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AK is a very good preflop hands. I only sleep this hand when I do not touch anything on the flop and not before.
 
EllinLucky

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Speaking of cash, I don’t fold AK preflop after two raises in front of me. If we talk about tournaments, it all depends on the situation, fold, in order to avoid a multi-pot, or an all-in.
 
xOneCoolHandx

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Satellite to SCOOP
13 tickets + 3 more places paid with cash. 16 total places paid.
2 full tables left, 18 players.
I'm on SB holding AA, 3rd by chips.
Button ALL IN 40% of my stack
I call
BB ALL IN 50% of my stack
I call

SB=JQo, me AA, BB=AKo
board: 3 7 Q J T
BB hits straight, SB 2 pair and goes out, I'm left with 20% = 6bb and I'm blinded out in 17th place.


AK? Well, sometimes it's better to fold Aces... was 3rd with virtual ticket in my pocket, and wen't out 17th with nothing. Thanks to aces, donks and pokerstars for the lesson.

This was a tough beat. I do not like to play AA (or any pocket pair) in a multiway pot, I prefer to have the AK and sometimes would prefer the QJ over the AA in this kind of pot, but this hand played out predictably. The button shoving with QJ was a loose shove, but understandable in an unraised pot where he was most likely trying to pick up the blinds and move on to the next hand. You flat called instead of pushing yourself (which I am 50/50 on the call. Holding aces, I would rather push myself with a decent sized stack behind me BUT sometimes I would just flat hoping the BB comes in and I can knock them both out and get to the finish line with a nice stack.) The BB sees the push and call and he is holding a monster and thinks he can move you off of anything except AA, KK or potentially QQ. His EV in this pot makes his move mathematically correct with his hand UNLESS you or Button is holding AA or KK. Plus, you have to figure in stack sizes and that you were in the late stages of the tournament and your table image (as well as the Button's table image).

I agree that multiple people having big hand seem to happen a lot more on Pokerstars than other sites and it sucks. Last night, I was playing the league tournament and about 5 hands in I had 10 10 from middle position, raise it up only to see a small raise (not even doubling my initial raise) from the button. Because I play weekly against this player, I have seen him pull this exact same trick with a huge variety of hands. So, I push, he calls and he has Aces. Last week, this happens a lot to me on PS. The very first week I had QQ beat by 76s (villain raised preflop almost every hand, I re-raised, he pushed, I called) and every week since there has been a showdown where I have either dominated preflop or was a small dog (until last night when my 10s were not match for his aces) and I have either been outflopped or lost the flip. The only game I play on PS is league and that may have something to do with it (look at the threads spouting theories about how the different sites have software that manipulate the games based on your deposits and history and a whole lot of other factors.)

Be glad that at least you finished in the money and go out and get it next time!
 
guineasqueak

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In sit & goes, one case would be when you are above the average stack but don't want to shove preflop in a flipping situation against suspected pocket pair. Nice to see a flop with AK and reevaluate afterwards.
 
cranberry

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AK is a strong hand on the preflop, which also loses. With pocket hand AK - the fewer opponents will be in the game, the better. Therefore, these hand must be played aggressively on postflop. If my opponent puts a 3-bet on my raise, then fold.
 
B1731898

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If there is two people pushing heavy before me, it makes it easier to lay AK down. Especially if i don't need to hit a hand. If I don't need to hit, lol. Small stacked, large blinds etc...
 
maclina

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I'm thinking of folding AK Pre, only when ICM comes in.
 
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