Too aggressive with AK?

[NineLions]

I ran across JessieBear and JimboJim at a pokerstars table last night. Just before Jimbo left I had a nice hand with AA over someone with a JJ hand where we chased out someone who would have had a flush.

But later after Jimbo left, this hand came up. Sometimes I cringe when I get AK just 'cause I find it tricky to play sometimes.

Was I too aggressive on the flop with this? The table all around was pretty tight; I'd seen 3x raises get no calls more than once. That plus my hesitation with AK is why I didn't reraise preflop.


PokerStars Game #7773063161: Hold'em No Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2007/01/05 - 01:38:01 (ET)
Table 'Halawe III' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: Mike4314 ($16.05 in chips)
Seat 2: HurricaneIvo ($8.70 in chips)
Seat 3: herkum ($12.05 in chips)
Seat 4: Reaper75 ($4.70 in chips)
Seat 5: Ninelions ($12.55 in chips)
Seat 7: itwassoooted ($16.25 in chips)
Seat 8: eminem1217 ($9.80 in chips)
eminem1217: posts small blind $0.05
Mike4314: posts big blind $0.10
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Ninelions [As Kh]
HurricaneIvo: raises $0.30 to $0.40
herkum: calls $0.40
Reaper75: folds
Ninelions: calls $0.40
itwassoooted: folds
eminem1217: calls $0.35
Mike4314: calls $0.30
*** FLOP *** [Ks Kc 7s]
eminem1217: checks
Mike4314: checks
HurricaneIvo said, "l"
HurricaneIvo: bets $1
herkum: folds
Ninelions: raises $1 to $2 (miniraise thinking I've got it won but maybe I can get more if someone wants to chase)
eminem1217: raises $3 to $5 (At this point I looked and thought, it was raised preflop, so K7 "shouldn't" be still in)
Mike4314: folds
HurricaneIvo: folds
Ninelions: raises $3 to $8
eminem1217: raises $1.40 to $9.40 and is all-in
Ninelions: calls $1.40

Should I have just called the raise to $5 and seen the next card? I've got a backdoor draw to the nut flush, but an Ace would give AA the hand. Failing that, I've got the ace kicker. Is this one of those hands that you have to try to win big, or go broke?

 

[t1riel]

Maybe, but I think you would've got the same result either way. A miniraise was a risk that would make some players fold. Luckily, you got a reraise. I think HurricaneIvo made the first bet as a contination bet and got out of the pot when they were two raises. Hopefully, you won the hand and had a nice pot nonetheless. Good job!

 

[dbitel]

rr preflop always, esp with 6ppl only at table.

minraise on flop is ugly. Call or raise a decent amount.

Look to get AI somewhere here....you did, so well done

 

[stormswa]

this one straight forward?

this one is pretty cut and dry, like has been said try to get all in which you did.


only real hand out there that could be in pot would be 77 and if he has it so be it there is no way your getting away from this.


I also agree that you should be re-raising with AK, I too just call with it sometimes its a leak in my game, this hand need to be re-raising.

 

[NineLions]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I was thinking I was being too aggressive. Also, the 77 never crossed my mind, and it should have, so thanks for pointing that out.

Of course, part of the reason I was questioning my play is because I lost. Here's how it played out:


Ninelions: raises $3 to $8
eminem1217: raises $1.40 to $9.40 and is all-in
Ninelions: calls $1.40
*** TURN *** [Ks Kc 7s] [Qs]
*** RIVER *** [Ks Kc 7s Qs] [2h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
eminem1217: shows [Qc Kd] (a full house, Kings full of Queens)
Ninelions: mucks hand
eminem1217 collected $20.75 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $21.80 | Rake $1.05
Board [Ks Kc 7s Qs 2h]
Seat 1: Mike4314 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: HurricaneIvo folded on the Flop
Seat 3: herkum folded on the Flop
Seat 4: Reaper75 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Ninelions mucked [As Kh]
Seat 7: itwassoooted (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: eminem1217 (small blind) showed [Qc Kd] and won ($20.75) with a full house, Kings full of Queens



He hit one of 3 outs to get the Q, but I could have hit another spade on the river as well, or an ace since it turned out he didn't have AA. Even with a results oriented perspective, I'm thinking this is one of those hands that I was destined to go broke with.

 

[zebranky]

not bad...

well, I could argue about the PF cold call, but it's not a bad play. You've got what amounts to the best drawing hand - and I do consider AK to be a drawing hand - and someone else already raised the pot for you. Given that you have position against the raiser, I don't see a problem with the call - the crappy hands still have to fold, and you get to hide a potential monster hand.

Other than my pathological avoidance of min-raises on the flop, you played this fine. Min-raises are a tricky tool to use, because they signify weakness in new players, and scream strength if you're a good player. Your image at the table - rookie or veteran - is key to using a min-raise. Your opponent obligingly let you get all your money in the middle when there's less than a 1% chance he has a better hand - good for you!

 

[x-Longshot-x]

I hope you stood on your desk and did some sort of dance when you got all your chips in. There is no way you are behind anything but 77 here. Worst comes to worst you are gonna chop with another AK. I play this hand the same way that you did 100 times out of 100. Sucks that he sucked out on you, but dont be results oriented

 

[stormswa]

dont be

Thanks for the replies, guys. I was thinking I was being too aggressive. Also, the 77 never crossed my mind, and it should have, so thanks for pointing that out.

Of course, part of the reason I was questioning my play is because I lost. Here's how it played out:


Ninelions: raises $3 to $8
eminem1217: raises $1.40 to $9.40 and is all-in
Ninelions: calls $1.40
*** TURN *** [Ks Kc 7s] Q♠
*** RIVER *** [Ks Kc 7s Qs] 2♥
*** SHOW DOWN ***
eminem1217: shows [Qc Kd] (a full house, Kings full of Queens)
Ninelions: mucks hand
eminem1217 collected $20.75 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $21.80 | Rake $1.05
Board [Ks Kc 7s Qs 2h]
Seat 1: Mike4314 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: HurricaneIvo folded on the Flop
Seat 3: herkum folded on the Flop
Seat 4: Reaper75 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Ninelions mucked [As Kh]
Seat 7: itwassoooted (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: eminem1217 (small blind) showed [Qc Kd] and won ($20.75) with a full house, Kings full of Queens



He hit one of 3 outs to get the Q, but I could have hit another spade on the river as well, or an ace since it turned out he didn't have AA. Even with a results oriented perspective, I'm thinking this is one of those hands that I was destined to go broke with.

dont be worried about results, be more interested in getting your money in good. honestly there is no way either of you are getting away from this.

just ran the odds, you were 71% to win he was 11% with 16% going for the tie, there are some percentage points I dropped. You cant ask for better then that.

 

[blankoblanco]

I've got a backdoor draw to the nut flush

Well that hardly matters... if your AK isn't the best hand right now, it means he has at least a full house-- a full house beats a flush. Only way your backdoor flush draw could possibly make a difference is if he has 2 spades in his hand, and he's not re-raising flop with non-nut flush draw on a paired board. If he somehow did do this, then good for you, you're way ahead. Instead of the minraise on the flop, raise to at least $3, when he re-raises, push and get it all-in. All you can do.

 

[NineLions]

I hope you stood on your desk and did some sort of dance when you got all your chips in.

Well, not literally, but figuratively yes, something like that.

As I said, the 77 didn't cross my mind and it should have, but at the time I thinking that I either win or split with another AK.

Thanks again for everyones comments on everything. Big lost hands stick in my memory more than big wins so it's good for me to temper this memory with the thought that the push was the right thing to go for.