Ace King has always been such a tricky hand for me to learn as a beginner. Initially, I played AK extremely aggressively. If a Villain ever bet in an earlier position it was a natural instinct to shove all in or reraise 3-4x their bet. Ultimately this exposed my biggest weakness with AK... post-flop.

Now, I'm attempting to reassess the way I play AK and think about it more deeply. In terms of equity and whether or not I should continue on future streets. I think it's a sign that I got dealt with 3 AK hands in my last session, so here are some examples for critique.

Notes:
Hero: VPiP 23 | PFR 16
Villains: Call Stations with wide ranges. Like 30+ VPiP

Hand #1: My question with this hand lies in the Turn and River. Should I have bet more on the Turn, and less on the River? What would be appropriate bet sizing?

Spoiler alert!

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No Limit Hold'em $0.01/$0.02
5 players

Stacks:
CO - CO ($2.07)
BTN - BTN ($0.95)
SB - Hero ($1.97)
BB - BB ($2.00)
BB - BB ($0.80)

Preflop: ($0.05, 5 players) Hero is SB with K♠A♦
BB checks, 1 fold, BTN calls $0.02, Hero raises to $0.07, BB calls $0.05, 1 fold, BTN calls $0.05

Flop: 9♠A♥4♠ ($0.32, 3 players - Hero: $1.90, BB: $1.91, BTN: $0.88)Hero bets $0.07, BB calls $0.07, 1 fold

Turn: 8♦ ($0.53, 2 players - Hero: $1.83, BB: $1.84)
Hero checks, BB checks

River: 2♣ ($0.53, 2 players - Hero: $1.83, BB: $1.84)Hero bets $0.22, 1 fold, Uncalled bet of $0.22 returned to Hero

Total Pot: $0.53

Hero wins $0.36

Hand #3

Spoiler alert!

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No Limit Hold'em $0.01/$0.02PokerStars
5 players

Stacks:
UTG - UTG ($3.22)
CO - CO ($2.13)
BTN - Hero ($2.11)
SB - SB ($2.01)
BB - BB ($2.38)

Preflop: ($0.03, 5 players) Hero is BTN with K♠A♦
UTG calls $0.02, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.06, 1 fold, BB calls $0.04, 1 fold

Flop: 2♣8♣3♠ ($0.15, 2 players - Hero: $2.05, BB: $2.32)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.06, BB calls $0.06

Turn: 2♥ ($0.27, 2 players - Hero: $1.99, BB: $2.26)
BB checks, Hero checks

River: 2♠ ($0.27, 2 players - Hero: $1.99, BB: $2.26)BB bets $0.26, Hero calls $0.26

Total Pot: $0.79
BB shows 9♠T♠ (three of a kind, Deuces)
Hero shows K♠A♦ (three of a kind, Deuces - Ace kicker)

Hero wins $0.76

Thank you guys! I really appreciate all the info CC has given me. If you have general tips on AK, I would love to hear them. Trying to get the most value out of this hand while still playing smart

Hand #1: your pre-flop bet may not be bad that much but you cloud bet more and make isolation so you cloud know what kind of hands you are facing with after the flop,
But definitely your bet after the flop is really small and you should bet something between 15 and 25 cents on a board like this.
also your check on the turn was not a good idea and you should make the pot bigger with these hands and spots

Originally Posted by mt2lhd

Hand #1: your pre-flop bet may not be bad that much but you cloud bet more and make isolation so you cloud know what kind of hands you are facing with after the flop,
But definitely your bet after the flop is really small and you should bet something between 15 and 25 cents on a board like this.
also your check on the turn was not a good idea and you should make the pot bigger with these hands and spots

Thank you!

I do not know about normal cash games or zoom 6max , but on 9max zoom be ready to fold it anytime , I have been screwed with this hand so many times , especially when I get it UTG or UTG+1 , lol . Then , I might dcideto fold it if I am not very deep or very low stacked , lol To avoid bad beats , not that many agrre or like this , but I see it's good for me on the long run very good ......

I would suggest raising a bit more pre-flop in both cases, as well as sizing your flop bet slightly larger in Hand #3 on this somewhat coordinated flop.

Otherwise the lines look good. You should generally be aggressive with AK pre-flop, value bet a lot post when you hit TPTK, and bluff-catch quite a bit when you've missed as you do in hand #3.

Originally Posted by Sweeterman

Ace King has always been such a tricky hand for me to learn as a beginner. Initially, I played AK extremely aggressively. If a Villain ever bet in an earlier position it was a natural instinct to shove all in or reraise 3-4x their bet. Ultimately this exposed my biggest weakness with AK... post-flop.

Now, I'm attempting to reassess the way I play AK and think about it more deeply. In terms of equity and whether or not I should continue on future streets. I think it's a sign that I got dealt with 3 AK hands in my last session, so here are some examples for critique.

Notes:
Hero: VPiP 23 | PFR 16
Villains: Call Stations with wide ranges. Like 30+ VPiP

Hand #1: My question with this hand lies in the Turn and River. Should I have bet more on the Turn, and less on the River? What would be appropriate bet sizing?

Spoiler alert!

Click to Reveal!

No Limit Hold'em $0.01/$0.02
5 players

Stacks:
CO - CO ($2.07)
BTN - BTN ($0.95)
SB - Hero ($1.97)
BB - BB ($2.00)
BB - BB ($0.80)

Preflop: ($0.05, 5 players) Hero is SB with K♠A♦
BB checks, 1 fold, BTN calls $0.02, Hero raises to $0.07, BB calls $0.05, 1 fold, BTN calls $0.05

Flop: 9♠A♥4♠ ($0.32, 3 players - Hero: $1.90, BB: $1.91, BTN: $0.88)Hero bets $0.07, BB calls $0.07, 1 fold

Turn: 8♦ ($0.53, 2 players - Hero: $1.83, BB: $1.84)
Hero checks, BB checks

River: 2♣ ($0.53, 2 players - Hero: $1.83, BB: $1.84)Hero bets $0.22, 1 fold, Uncalled bet of $0.22 returned to Hero

Total Pot: $0.53

Hero wins $0.36

Hand #3

Spoiler alert!

Click to Reveal!

No Limit Hold'em $0.01/$0.02PokerStars
5 players

Stacks:
UTG - UTG ($3.22)
CO - CO ($2.13)
BTN - Hero ($2.11)
SB - SB ($2.01)
BB - BB ($2.38)

Preflop: ($0.03, 5 players) Hero is BTN with K♠A♦
UTG calls $0.02, 1 fold, Hero raises to $0.06, 1 fold, BB calls $0.04, 1 fold

Flop: 2♣8♣3♠ ($0.15, 2 players - Hero: $2.05, BB: $2.32)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.06, BB calls $0.06

Turn: 2♥ ($0.27, 2 players - Hero: $1.99, BB: $2.26)
BB checks, Hero checks

River: 2♠ ($0.27, 2 players - Hero: $1.99, BB: $2.26)BB bets $0.26, Hero calls $0.26

Total Pot: $0.79
BB shows 9♠T♠ (three of a kind, Deuces)
Hero shows K♠A♦ (three of a kind, Deuces - Ace kicker)

Hero wins $0.76

Thank you guys! I really appreciate all the info CC has given me. If you have general tips on AK, I would love to hear them. Trying to get the most value out of this hand while still playing smart

Thank U 4 posting

In the first hand you check turn when 8d hits. We need to have a purpose for this check as the 8d did not effect our V’s range significantly.
So we check if our V will bet worse Ax one pair hands but fold them if we bet. If they chase we always bet again.
We check if our V will bluff this V did not.
We never check if V has a flush draw which V could have here
If V has a gut shot draw we should also keep betting

If V is not aggro and raises our turn bet we need to be able to fold as they can have sets and two pair hands.

In cash games the bet fold vs passive players is the best way to accumulate and protect stacks at the same time

Hope this helps

I think you should definitely keep the aggressive style with AK so you can win the most.

AK i play aggressive 90% of the times. It is a good hand and usually you can win most of the hands with it, especially pre flop. Theres so many aspects so its hard to say how to play with it, it depends about so many details but overall AK is great in late games when you already know the opponents and can actually bluff them a bit too even if you didnt hit the flop.

Well I don't know how to answer because every time I play with AK in most of them I end up losing just now I just lost with AK against 98 suited on the flop 7 hearts 5 gold 3 clubs turn K hearts river A hearts and one more tournament finished.

Originally Posted by pablo lima

Well I don't know how to answer because every time I play with AK in most of them I end up losing just now I just lost with AK against 98 suited on the flop 7 hearts 5 gold 3 clubs turn K hearts river A hearts and one more tournament finished.

Thank U 4 posting

We all lose to this kind of terrible runout, however how much we lose and knowing why helps us to be better players.

When did all your chips go in the pot turn or river?
If on the river why did you think the V had a worse hand that would call 3 streets?
If you called a shove on the river why?
By why what I am asking is why did you think your V was shoving enough hands that you beat to warrant a call?
Folding 2 pair -sets-straights even full houses is necessary in tournaments. Learning to know when and why to fold them is an advanced strategy.

Hope this helps

Playing AK preflop is tricky and dangerous. Playing aggresively can be disastrous. Other player only needs to have a pair to beat you when you don't hit a K or A. Don't talk about a straight with AK it happens very rarely. So for me It's recomended to play carefully or sometimes You must hit All in if you feel lucky with this hand.

Originally Posted by Collin Moshman

I would suggest raising a bit more pre-flop in both cases, as well as sizing your flop bet slightly larger in Hand #3 on this somewhat coordinated flop.

Otherwise the lines look good. You should generally be aggressive with AK pre-flop, value bet a lot post when you hit TPTK, and bluff-catch quite a bit when you've missed as you do in hand #3.

This is great advise.

In the first hand when you hit TPTK and there's a spade draw you have to protect your hand by betting almost half pot and barreling the turn on the 8d. Suppose your opponent had a spade draw he will pay you off and you are 4to1 to win so 1/2 on the flop and 2/3 on the turn could make it profitable.
Also you have to play the range of villain when he defends on the BB, especially when boards are T high or less. He's defending wider so he has adventage on this type of board and checking back or betting 1/3 of the pot is better in those situations.
And finally don't overplay AK you could win big but lose big also.

This hand have many, many options for play. You can play aggro to "some point", you can barreling with this, you can play passivly.

I wrote a huge article only for this hand, but in my native language. It's not so easy, mate. You can hear very different opinions for some spot with AK. And noone is wrong...

About the hands...You play well. But if you want to use this hand like bluff catcher, if you make a bet at some street, your hand is already a "weaker bluff catcher". That's the main "problem" with AK. Ak is so strong. If you bet as bluff, the weaker Ax maybe will fold, some of them will fold. And it is difficult to find bluffs then.

Also, if you use this hand as "pure bluff", then your lines will be bluff heavy. With a hand, which sometime wins as bluff vs weaker hands. "Bluffing with the better hand" ussualy is not good. Also AK is many combos. Depends on your style, your ranges can be very weak preflop and postflop.

Reise preflopp , wait flop and reise further if you have match.

Originally Posted by mt2lhd

Hand #1: your pre-flop bet may not be bad that much but you cloud bet more and make isolation so you cloud know what kind of hands you are facing with after the flop,
But definitely your bet after the flop is really small and you should bet something between 15 and 25 cents on a board like this.
also your check on the turn was not a good idea and you should make the pot bigger with these hands and spots

Agreed. I would have bet more on the flop. Especially in microstakes cash games, people will call off their stack with a flush draw. Pot bet would be better for this one.

Originally Posted by Comboss599

Playing AK preflop is tricky and dangerous. Playing aggresively can be disastrous. Other player only needs to have a pair to beat you when you don't hit a K or A. Don't talk about a straight with AK it happens very rarely. So for me It's recomended to play carefully or sometimes You must hit All in if you feel lucky with this hand.

totally agree, it's just ak

I would not have a low expectation for this hand it is very strong and the only preflop you could have beating you is pocket pair or AA.

tri-beting in pre-flop... continuation bet in the flop and get a read in the turn!!!