$11 NL HE MTT: Crying fold with AK. Fear of flying out at an early stage.

[Vallet]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

MTT

Buy-in

11

Currency

$

Venom Boski Special tournament. The first half hour of the game is an early stage for me. I try to play reliably and not leave early. Only the 4th level of blinds. And I didn't join the tournament right away. AK hand on the button with almost 34 BB.
Are you raising and getting ready to go all in on the preflop ? A raise - fold would look terrible.
https://www.cardschat.com/replayer/3q287mgq

 

[fundiver199]

My main play here would absolutely be to 3-bet AK and be willing to stack off against a 4-bet. However when you just call, and there is then a 3-bet and a cold 4-bet jam behind you, AK is rarely in good shape, and you only have 2,2 BB invested so far. So as played I agree with your decision to fold. And being just a little results oriented getting it in against QQ and another AK would not have been a good spot, even though this time the two AK would have chopped up the chips of the player with QQ.

 

[StealTheButton]

So, yes, sometimes I am 3-betting AK here but it's still early. You do have the advantage of the button. You have the disadvantage of getting sandwiched by the SB or BB as your check appears weak. Had you 3 betted and the small blind and big blind both jam then you really have a decision to make. TBH I would have probably played the hand the same way as you did.

 

[fundiver199]

but it's still early.

Which is why, 3-betting is a far higher EV play here. We should basically play in chip EV mode early in an MTT - just like if it was a cash game. And in chip EV 3-betting is far superior to calling, unless there are maniacs in the blinds, and we want to induce action like the one, we got here. But then of course the plan would be to beat them into the pot and not fold.

You do have the advantage of the button.

Sure. But AK is such a ridiculously strong hand, that not 3-betting is leaving a ton of EV on the table. Plus it allow the players in the blinds to see a cheap flop and suck out on us. AK is much easier to play heads up and with a shallow SPR rather than multiway and with a deep SPR.

You have the disadvantage of getting sandwiched by the SB or BB as your check appears weak.

Had there been just a 3-bet and not also a cold 4-bet jam, then it would have been a great spot to get it in against a range, we would absolutely be crushing. And as already stated, if we flat AK, thats exactly the kind of action, we want.

Had you 3 betted and the small blind and big blind both jam then you really have a decision to make.

Yeah it would kind of suck, but Hero would be priced in to call it off. And its basically an outlier, because it will happen maybe 1% of the time or even less. And in poker we should not care about 1% outcomes AKA "monster under the bed" situations.

 

[dallam]

The recent days I was playing a Special Freeroll, doing fine. But the blinds can increase pretty intense, and I lost 2 flips in a row, so left with just above 10bbs but still was ahead half of the remaining field lol.
Had AKo when UTG shoved with around 10bb and HJ called with the same stack, I was on BB but could not fold the AKo with that small stack. UTG: AQo, HJ: 1010 and HJ won it. That pretty much shoves how AK can behave in 3-way, I was hoping to see them some pockets lower than KK but obv. let it go a bit and if I triple up I would have 30+bbs and in top15, which could increase the chance of a great payout so yeah.. I can see AKo defo folding in general, but this case was quiet different because of the positions and stack sizes.

 

[dallam]

We could put here some significant sign with the 3-bet, we do have a very strong combination. Also I'm more confident to see the BB 4-bet shove rather than somehow just let this thing resulted in a 3-way unnecessary. So yeah, its a very tight view here not to raise, cause the as a trap its maybe not that strong, if it makes sense.

Of course in your case if you make the 3-bet SB would still shove on you, and BB easily follow. So the outcome remained the same. However in the eyes of measuring their hand it has a totally different view, since 4-bet all-in and a call indicate to think that min. 1 big pocket pair is in the game if not two, and your A or K or both may blocked so as you have an unsuited one, it's just lead the fact that it's going to be a big gamble here.
In addition a side-pot is 14K here so its not matching with your risk-reward, you need to win the full pot to being profitable from it, unless a 3-bet fold is still left you in a better shape in the game, rather then the call and side p.