AK in early tournament stage

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theresets

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I was playing a microstake tournament 9-handed and found my self holding AKo. In these tournaments players often show up with AQo or other dominated hands when they open shove from early position.

OK so heres the hand that got me confused preflop with AKo

All stacks are roughly equal (1000)
No antes, BB - 20, SB-10

UTG: Raises huge amount to around 11x the BB
UTG+1: Calls
Hero: ?

I felt like at these stakes getting it in with AK often has me ahead as people are shoving with dominated hands but I wasn't sure what to do in this spot. I decided to shove because flatting seemed to invite more players into the pot which I didn't want with so many people behind me, and folding felt too nitty given the ranges of the other players. Shoving felt like the only decent option because of the fold equity of the two other players and the likelihood I am ahead.

The hand went on and both players called and the UTG showed up with KQo, and UTG+1 had two fives. The board came off and KQo took the hand down with a queen on the flop.

What is the correct play in this spot with AKo in the early tournament stages
 
Romario2223

Romario2223

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As for me in the eayrly tournament stages AK going all in eysy.
 
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sillymunchie

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easy fold, your early in the tournament nobody needs to make a gamble, if you work on your big stack plays you want to get your chips in with bigger hands like sets, get info on your players......
just remember a double up doesnt help at this stage, win small pots with small hands and big pots with big hands
 
SBEP

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Utg and utg+1 allin then i guess was your turn in mmid position with AK with 6 more people bhinde to act, easy fold dude, i would have folded aces in that position, it also depends on the tournament if its a freeforall sure shove, see what happens, but if u buyin the tournament easy fold with AK, now if i had 3times their chips i would have gambles no doubt about it, but same stacks naaaahhh dude its too risky for me anyway :D
 
IntenseHeat

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I think A-K might be a fold for me here. I don't think it's an easy fold, but I'm not all that much into pre-flop shoves with anything less than a big pair or playing huge multiplayer pots. That's not to say I'm always going to lay A-K down when an agro player shoves in on me. In this case though, I'm either flat calling or folding. I don't think that shoving is going to have any more affect on the action. The 11x UTG raise should be enough to keep the bingo players out of the hand. Anyone willing to call 11x pre isn't likely to shy away from a shove. Being early on in the tourney I think the prudent move would be to make the fold, sit back and pay attention and collect as much information about your opponents as you can. Let the idiots blow themselves up while you gain valuable information about your opponents ranges. You can see what they are raising with, who is calling light and which players are willing to chase draws. Basically you have a chance to tell the solid players from the donkeys and bingo players for free. Sometimes the best play you can make is not to play, just get out of the way.
 
BogdanStark

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Obviously fold. You gonna answer yourself: WHY you play this MTT???
If it is freeroll, and you play after drunk party, you should be all-in.
If it is MTT, where you can win nice cash prizes, you should be fold AKo(s) to pushed all-in UNKNOWN player at the early stage.
 
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RazorLazor

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Hey buddy,

I have a couple thoughts that may help you out a little. If you don't agree, I'm sorry for wasting your time.

Basically what I am picking up on from your description:

It is early in the tournament so it's nearly impossible to be able to decipher what people's opening ranges are, assuming you haven't played with them before, which is normal in low stakes.

Micro stakes is going to have players who are not thinking high level analysis
Things like:
Range, ICM, position and stats don't matter all the much until the tournaments break down (all the clowns who are just trying to spike a few hands early to give them a chip stack to work with are either stacked or busted and you won't have to risk your stack every hand and you can play poker, not bingo.... Lol)

The AK you are holding preflop sure has plenty of equity, but, but, but!!!!
You still have to remember it's technically only A high.

I noticed your postion was not indicated but it doesn't matter much here, but people acting after you is very risky so you made the right move by raising to get them out . However, I think it's early to move in here because even winning this hand won't really improve your chances of winning the tournament, it will make it easier sure , but there is still a lot of navigation left.

Here is where I'll posit my opinion on your play.

11x Bb is 20% of your stack.
not to mention your implied odds are good, but only assuming you spike an A or K on a rainbow, non strait type of board.
A high is a tough hand to win at showdown in micro because it's notorious for players to make decisions oblivious to what an opposition may be doing.

With a pot swelling, you
have a very high chance of having to risk your entire stack in this pot before you know how your hand plays post flop.
And a raise in front of you that big is representing strength in early postion which is almost always going to be accompanied by a hefty continuation.
If you don't hit, you're now in a postion to commit more chips to ,still hopefully, spike a card that may( help someone else, help you but not enough)


So, IBecause it is so early, and there are going to be better times to put your stack in. The only two options i consider are flating and folding. The remaining people behind you will flat a hand with equity and/or shove with strong hands. So, you having been prepared to ship it( and I know it's better to go all in than to call all in) you are -already ready to commit your stack preflop anyway, so if someone did ship it after you would actually be in a better spot because you would be able to gain information from the opponents who acted before you and access whether moving in is right.( which this early is really not the most profitable or beneficial to the long run)


Basically if I were In your shoes, or when I was in your shoes i should say
I would have let it go.
Muck that.
AK holds equity, but you have to hit or you're flipping.
You make more extracting from opponents when you have it or you know they don't, than you do trying to flip for it.

It's a bummer to let it go, especially of its the first action hand you get.
But tournaments are about the long haul, don't get yourself in a risky spot early.


Hope I helped bud. Great question!
And this is of course all my opinion on what has worked for me and from my research. if you don't agree, that's cool just throwing my analysis out there.

Run hot,
Razor
 
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MMarshall89

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In that position, if it's worth loosing your buy-in, its worth gambling but I wouldn't always suggest an all in with just AK if your true goal is to win the tournament.
 
proud2Bwhack

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so many reasons to fold... with a giant raise and a flat call ahead of you, somebody has one of your aces or kings for sure, if not your exact hand, the other player is likely to have a nice pair 9's through Q's, they are way ahead with some of your outs missing. also, as someone else said, an early double up doesnt benefit you enough for the risk.
 
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Chipsteal_jj

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It is an easy fold, two players before you have raised and called 11bb. Even though many people go all in here, it could also mean one of them wants to build a pot instead of shoving because he knows he can win post flop. Also Ako can be easily beaten by any pocket pair and 89s etc in a 3-way all in.
 
dgospa

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For me in that position and that raise in early stage of tournamet its fold. Maybe i am wrong, but seems to me correct play would be conisdering position and huge raise FOLD. Cheers!
 
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mauroc711

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In your shoes I had folded.

2 or more players in the hand, they may be burning Aces or Kings.

The pocket still are dominating.

It is better to wait and make better spot later.

Of course, you have a good hand and put yourself at risk if you want to hit a big stack early on you can push.
 
rooney1919

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For me easy fold.It's early phase, be patient and wait for other good hands and better position.
 
Luci

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wanna gamble AK in early tourney? I think it s ok to double up. But be ready to loose.
 
TeUnit

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think its villan and tourney dependent

if its a freeroll and you think the villan is a drooler or will get it in with ATo, then feel free to shove

if the villan is solid or its a higher buying with better players maybe just go with 2.5x
 
ovsleka

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as for me I can play with AKo to be careful-at first -raise 3-4 bb but with the output of the flop situation-limp
 
emk211

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Just depends what type of player you are, me I play pretty tight until I see what is going on with the other players. I think it depends on the position I am in and what transpires ahead of me. If I am on the button and everyone has folded except the UTG who went all in, I might call if it is a minor tourney, AK off suit, ehhh, AK suited much more difficult decision, but early either way most of the time I fold, later after I see some action, this might be a call.
 
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skyllet

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I wouldn't risk my tournament at the beginning with this hand
 
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bublikon

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I think need fold this hand because you have any raise and call and no needed so risk in early stage. even if you have the best hand preflop id doesnt mean you will win.
 
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Turn7

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In early stages I definitely fold this hand if somebody raises pre flop. No need to gamble and risking the stack. No chance... ;-)
 
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Edson

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OK so heres the hand that got me confused preflop with AKo

All stacks are roughly equal (1000)
No antes, BB - 20, SB-10

UTG: Raises huge amount to around 11x the BB
UTG+1: Calls
Hero: ?


easy fold for me... too much gambling, this hand is one of the best but in that kind of situation definitely not
 
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CearaPoker

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And you are at the beginning of the hand and the tournament has to be very cautious, because the villains push with any hand, so sometimes it is better limping and if there are many increases shov believe is best option is to fold even to avoid early fall at the beginning of the tournament, since if there is a re-entry option believe that push everything is the best option.
 
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ph_il

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With only 50 BBs effective stacks, I shove to isolate against UTG. Pot is already 50% of your stack. So, its huge if you win uncontested, but I'm happy if I get a call.

50 BBs isn't big at all, so I hate folding such a strong hand here with a great opportunity to pick up a nice pot. If blinds go up to 15-30, you only have ~30 BBs left if you pay nothing but blinds.

UTG+1 almost always has nothing here with their flat call and what hands are UTG raising for 11 BBs here that you're a huge underdog against? Only AA and KK and you block some combinations. If anyone behind you wakes up with a big hand, its unlucky but Im still jamming.

Easy jam. Easier if it's re-buy or re-entry.
 
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