$60 NL HE MTT: AK Scenario

[Madsaac]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

MTT

Buy-in

60

VP$IP

0

PFR

3

AF

0

Currency

$

I find these situations tricky and would love some advice on a couple AK scenarios with different stack sizes and flops. And the differences in approaches? I know its a fair bit to ask, so any input would be good, thanks.

UTG is a standard, regular player.

AK on the BTN with 30bbs/50bbs
UTG raises 3, CO calls BTN 3bets to 10, UTG calls, CO folds
Pot - 24
Flop - 6d, 3s, 2h
UTG checks
What do you do? Do you bet? And how much? What happens if you're called? (Is there is ~50% chance of being called?)
Turn - 8d
What turn cards does your hand/perceived hand like?

Is there any sense in flatting AK pre there with 30bb?
Is there any sense in checking down AK with SD value?

Different Flop

AK on the BTN with 30bbs/50bbs
UTG raises 3, CO calls BTN 3bets to 10, UTG calls, CO folds
Pot - 24
Flop - Qd, 8h, 7s
UTG checks
What do you do? Do you bet? And how much? What happens if you're called? (Is there is <50% chance of being called?)
Turn - 8d
What turn cards does your hand/perceived hand like?

 

[300HPGOD]

To start, with AK and 30 BBs and there is an open and a call in front of me from non nitty players I would just jam. I think raising to 10 BBs is too small to begin with and it is 1/3rd your stack so you might as well just jam at that point. At 50 BBs its closer but I really think (online anyway) your 3 bet sizing over a 3BB open and a caller should be larger than 10 BBs and be more like 12-15 BBs. At 12 BBs that is almost 1/4th our stack so that is a spot where you can jam as well. Obviously if we are dealing with a nitty player and then UTG then we might be a little more worried about jamming into it but we have a blocker to the 2 hands we are concerned about.

As far as post flop play is concerned, c bet calling %s come into play huge here which is why I recommend it be a stat you have on your HUD. If you dont have a HUD , or live, or readless, or some combination of those then for the first flop which is low and rainbow so I would c bet AK here and make it small. I know there is an argument that over pairs like 7s and 8s arent going anywhere which is true but I am betting here for equity denial, and even though it is frowned upon, also to see if my opponents want to play a big hand here or they are just going to fold. Obviously not mentioned is what is their stack sizes as this plays so different if we have them covered or not. The smaller their stack then the less they are folding and the more I lean to checking back. If they called then I would see what the turn is and go from there. If its UTG that calls then I think they more likely have 77-99 type hands that maybe a J or Q on turn could make them fold to a double plus us having 1010+ in our range they could fold. If it is CO calling on flop then I think they could have more of the broadway hands than UTG would so they might not fold as easy to a Q or J but a lower card they might fold to. They have pocket pairs too that, again depending on their stack size to start the hand, will not want to go 3 streets.

2nd flop is more problematic for us cause the Q probably hits one of their ranges fairly well plus the 8 and 7 can hit their pairs well. Depending on UTG stack size they probably arent opening 55 and below here so their pocket pairs hit this flop more. I think on this board I lean to check more since the board is better for our opponents range and then we take the "lets see a free turn approach". Again, as with above, this depends on c bet call% and player types.

To sum it up though, I think either of these stack sizes (especially more as you are closer to 30 BBs) are better off ripping pre flop over an opener and a caller even if the opener is UTG.

 

[Madsaac]

Thanks for that, it's a live regular game and no reads. Yeah with the caller a jam might be best. What if its just the UTG raise? 3bet is best?

 

[fundiver199]

If the effective stack is only 30BB, then you only have 20BB left going to the flop, and with a pot of 24BB the SPR is less than 1. This mean, you cant really bet small, because it will already commit you to the pot. Its a jam or check situation, and when in position I would lean towards checking behind and essentially take a 4-card flop. If you are still stuck with A high, you can fold to a turn bet without giving up to much equity. The issue with jamming is, you generally get better to call and worse to fold. Out of position though you just jam especially on the 632 board. But if you are the player with 30BB, then just jam preflop.

If the effective stack is 50BB, the SPR is around 1,6, which is enough to make it a 2-street hand. You can still check back but also make a small "range bet" of maybe 30% pot. If he just call, you can check back turn and get to see all 5 cards before possibly folding to a river bet. Or of course you can improve to top pair and stack off.

 

[300HPGOD]

Thanks for that, it's a live regular game and no reads. Yeah with the caller a jam might be best. What if its just the UTG raise? 3bet is best?

Depends on player... how wide do you think they are and do they fold to 3 bets? If we are going at this as readless then I think we have to guess whether QJ or Q10 is in their UTG open range. If not, then their range is Ax, Kx, and pocket pairs. The Ax and Kx we dont want to go anywhere and would assume if we just called that we would face a c bet from UTG a lot so we could flat pre and just call flop to keep those worse hands in but then that also lets the blinds in cheap which we dont want. At 50 BBs, we can 3 bet but 3 bet somewhat smallish, like to 8 or 9 BBs and then see what happens on flop. Either of the flops you mention I would not like against UTG as I am only targeting a few Ax (AQ, AJ, A10 as I think A9 doesnt open UTG) and very limited Kx and each flop benefits the certain pairs that we could up against and would not fold.

I would still say jamming pre flop is on the table at 30 BBs and probably what I would still do in game. It could get all pairs up to 99 to fold, at least possibly fold. You might get a call from AQ suited too if you both have 30 Bbs and villain decides to gamble for a big stack and puts you on a hand you dont want to see a flop with like 55-99 ( I know they would be behind but could gamble for the big stack with it being a flip). Jamming, though, is so much better when the flat caller is in the middle since its dead money that I would not expect to call a jam.

So I guess a quick sum up, with open and caller, I am jamming either stack size but definitely at 30 BBs. If just UTG opener, jam at 30 BBs and small 3 bet at 50 BBs to 8-9 BBs and then play flop accordingly with a lean towards small betting on the 632 board and checking back on the Q87 board.

 

[eetenor]

I find these situations tricky and would love some advice on a couple AK scenarios with different stack sizes and flops. And the differences in approaches? I know its a fair bit to ask, so any input would be good, thanks.

UTG is a standard, regular player.

AK on the BTN with 30bbs/50bbs
UTG raises 3, CO calls BTN 3bets to 10, UTG calls, CO folds
Pot - 24
Flop - 6d, 3s, 2h
UTG checks
What do you do? Do you bet? And how much? What happens if you're called? (Is there is ~50% chance of being called?)
Turn - 8d
What turn cards does your hand/perceived hand like?

Is there any sense in flatting AK pre there with 30bb?
Is there any sense in checking down AK with SD value?

Different Flop

AK on the BTN with 30bbs/50bbs
UTG raises 3, CO calls BTN 3bets to 10, UTG calls, CO folds
Pot - 24
Flop - Qd, 8h, 7s
UTG checks
What do you do? Do you bet? And how much? What happens if you're called? (Is there is <50% chance of being called?)
Turn - 8d
What turn cards does your hand/perceived hand like?

So GTOWIZARD free version has preflop actions unlimited and one free full hand daily

50bb action in the first spot BTN raises 8x with AKS and AKo but also shoves AKo 55% frequency

By using GTOWIZARD you can get a great feel for our foundation play and your Villains expected actions preflop which will guide you post flop

You then adapt from there vs standard V actions based on your specific player pool notes

So you can actually study Exploit poker because Exploit assumes a starting point from which we and our V would deviate.