AK in tournaments

bra01

bra01

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I recently made what I believe was a huge mistake as I was at the ft and had about ~%40 of the chips in play, a pretty significant chip lead. I ended up running AK into QQ preflop against the one other person who had enough chips to chop my stack in half. My question is this: In what stages of a tournament and at what chip stacks is it reasonable to push a significant amount of chips in preflop with AK?
 
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chronical

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I think the probles is not AK but rather WHEN that AK is playd.
In the begining of the toruney It's easy to throw away money with strong hands even 3%+ on some sucksouts. I mean who has not lost AA to 87s when every one has 100+ BBs and calling even 5bb raise for you ops is a good investment.
So when you have good BBs+M you you can aford 4bet folds even. After you are down to lets say 20-30bbs you have to manage you hands smart and AK plays good post flop so raise and 3 bets are good but againd no need to throw aways money on 4 suited turn with 2nbd pair =)
then you down to 20-bb i think it's a good time to push fold. You have no room for a lot of manuevers so... GL =)
 
Olegas

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I recently made what I believe was a huge mistake as I was at the ft and had about ~%40 of the chips in play, a pretty significant chip lead. I ended up running AK into QQ preflop against the one other person who had enough chips to chop my stack in half. My question is this: In what stages of a tournament and at what chip stacks is it reasonable to push a significant amount of chips in preflop with AK?
the calculator speaks on pre-flop
AK 42.85 %
QQ 56.77 %
after nobody flop
AK 25%
QQ 75%

[emoji6]
statistics are ruthless
 
milka1605

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In tournaments of great importance, you should not throw everything immediately before the flop. it's better to make 3-4BB pre-flop. This is if you have an average or a large stack. With a small stack of 10BB and less, it's best to go to аllin. On freerolls, you can immediately go to аllin regardless of the stack. I personally use this tactic.
 
Dailon Arroyo Blandon

Dailon Arroyo Blandon

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I think that first you have to analyze the situation very well ... for example if I have AK and I'm on the button and a villain in middle position plays all in ... it's very possible that villain does not have AA, KK. .QQ ... in that case I play all in ... but if I'm in UTG or middle positions i play 3-bet ...
 
Acesinthebig

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There's nothing you can do. It's a cooler.
 
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Nepheropitou

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in the final stages of tournaments, it is always good to play cautiously with strong ranges as well
 
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Masi2197

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it is not good to trust these cards, in early stages it is better to play them with caution, in early pocision a bet not too high would be advisable, in pocision as the button a big bet would be ideal
 
wsbar

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I like to be aggressive with AK when I'm short-stack with 4BB. At the beginning of a tournament or when I have a reasonable stack, I like to play with caution.
 
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If I am in short stack (<15BB), I will shove with AK. In early and middle of a tour, I simply always open raise/ 3-bet instead of all in
 
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Mike D_

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If I'll know 100% that villain is on QQ and I have AK, I'll call him in 99.99%, except the situation when 1 place left to get ITM.
 
Anatoliy Tolik

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Here it is impossible to say unequivocally, you did the right thing because if you do not raise that people come from 2 and 6 and win.And that you are moving the QQ, that could have happened with a professional, you need to play more carefully after the flop and see how the enemy behaves.
 
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Samuel Kollapso

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AKAK are good cards for post flop, sometimes it's not good to sacrifice everything for them ... As they said above and above, statistics say everything.
 
zwbb

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AK is a draw hand, that is, often you will need to improve to showdown. But at the same time, this hand has a very good chance of becoming the best, as any ace or king on the board will give you a top pair and a top kicker. Thus, AK is a hand that should be played aggressively and decisively until you encounter resistance both pre-flop and later streets.

Pairs from QQ and below and other combinations with an ace in deep stacks will most often just call. Thus, by aggressive play you not only determine the strength of the opponent's hand, but also take control of the hand directly from the preflop, thereby creating favorable conditions for the theft of many banks with betting on the flop, in case of a miss.
 
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PKRNRS

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AK is more of desperate shove if you have limited chips. No need to get it in between the two biggest chip stacks. One also has to be mindful of stack sizes. I have no problem letting go of this against another large stacked player. I would rather pick off the weaker/smaller stacks.
 
sryulaw

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the calculator speaks on pre-flop
AK 42.85 %
QQ 56.77 %
after nobody flop
AK 25%
QQ 75%

[emoji6]
statistics are ruthless


against mathematics there are no arguments ..
facts .. maybe in the long run be + EV play them like this ..
plays all-in with more than 3, 4 player is complicated the porcetagem change a lot and you increase the chances of losing .. in the beginning of the tournament do this, it is the scratched .. do not win the tournament in the first hand of AK. is the tip
 
edc1

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late stages of mtt I'm pushing a-k most of the time-if I get beat that's just poker-early I will raise with them pre-flop and play caustiosly if I miss the flop-also its the hardest unpaired hand for me to fold.ive also lost a lot of chips thru the years overplaying a-k
 
Zhubiitis

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i push allin with AK preflop allin 20 BB under
 
Bozovicdj

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I keep seeing this dilemma on the forum over and over again.

Aside from less then 20BB stacks in tournaments, and situations where you are the chip leader and some short stack of less then 20BB shoves, there is no reason to go all in or to call someone's all in with AK preflop.

If u think that AK is some miracle hand you are so very wrong. Calling all in preflop with AK will almost always get you in a coin flip situations or worse. (honestly, what hands can raise all in, or call your all in, that are worse then AK).
There is simply no reason to gamble off half your stack when you are already at the final table, and aiming to win it all.

________________________________
AK - Anna Kournikova - pretty but just doesn't play good!
 
Luan

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usually at the beginning of a tournament it is not very good to leave raising high with AK because usually they favor the pairs so at the beginning of the tournament a basic 3bet is good size outside that fold now in the middle and post bubbles there yes and raise high or all in whatever position!
 
393700

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sometimes it is worth to look at the cards with AK, and not go on the go in ol in, you can lose and with pair A on your hands.
 
GRIN281289

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this is a good card for tournaments, but to play carefully
 
Serjo600

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It's standard coin, usually push AK preflop in the position regardless from size of ur stack
 
Ivansito26

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I think AK is a very good and powerful hand. It can be a monster in tournaments, but sometimes people think it's a pair of aces, and it's not. Of course, in a tournament, especially in the final stages, it is very difficult to get out of hand when we have AK...luckk with AK
 
Boltun

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I consider that AK is advantageous to push in all the tournaments except the early tournaments, because if we do not push AK and press on the table, then the probability is not just to reach the final, but to win the tournament is very small and on the final table we will sit without a stack
 
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