How loosely do you play AK?

How do you play AK?

  • I always go ALL-IN preflop with AK

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I usually make a significant raise with AK often "pot-committing" myself

    Votes: 6 11.3%

  • I make a healthy raise with AK but will not hesitate to lay the hand down pre-flop

    Votes: 16 30.2%

  • I tend to go ALL-IN preflop with AK ONLY when I am shortstacked

    Votes: 19 35.8%

  • I tend to go ALL-IN preflop with AK ONLY when I am not covered (i.e. no player can bust me)

    Votes: 1 1.9%

  • I tend to go ALL-IN preflop with AK ONLY when I am shortstacked OR not covered

    Votes: 5 9.4%

  • AK is tricky; U will win many hands with it but U will bust out of many tourneys with it as well

    Votes: 22 41.5%
  • Total voters
    53
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PoundKake

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I can't vote bc all of the answers are too specific. all depends on the circumstances as to how I play it.
 
madsquirrel

madsquirrel

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I definitely play aggressive with AK, but not to the extreme and I never go all in with this hand because of the donks that call with 6-8 off suite and flop something.
 
Jacki Burkhart

Jacki Burkhart

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PokerFunKid said:
A pretty good hand, worth a raise preflop. But when you miss the flop a simple pair of 2's already beat you. That is why i fold AK after the flop if i missed it.
Click to expand...


yes, a simple pair of deuces is ahead of you, but THEY don't know that.

If you call a raise with pocket deuces and don't flop a set you are always looking at 3 overcards = easy fold for deuces. A cbet with AK should win many pots against little pairs.
 
IntenseHeat

IntenseHeat

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I think the point he was making is that once you miss the flop, big slick becomes just Ace high with a King kicker. Sure you can take down a lot of pots with a continuation bet. But you can do that J-2 offsuit if you have the right table image. The question is what do you do if someone leads out in front of you on the flop, or if someone raises your continuation bet? A lot of players simply will not let it go, no matter what hits the board. They will go to their graves, chipless, clutching an Ace and a King. If you're willing to do that, then you are probably better off shipping your stack all-in pre-flop with slick. At least then you have a good chance of chasing those small pairs out. The bottom line is that A-K is excellent starting hand, but it is not the be all to end all of poker hands that many players seem to think it is.
 
Jacki Burkhart

Jacki Burkhart

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Well, sure but if you miss the flop and Cbet with AK instead of J2 for example you've still got the best nothing hand (which might be ahead) and you've always got 2 overs to top pair...so cbetting with AK is at worst a semi-bluff where betting with J2 is usually a stone cold bluff.

I don't think AK is the nuts or anything, but it can often be played like the nuts. Especially in the mid/late stages of a tourney.

No, you shouldn't get married to AK esp early in a tourney but the same can be said for AA.
 
Poker Orifice

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missjacki said:
yes, a simple pair of deuces is ahead of you, but THEY don't know that.

If you call a raise with pocket deuces and don't flop a set you are always looking at 3 overcards = easy fold for deuces. A cbet with AK should win many pots against little pairs.
Click to expand...

If you open raise with pocket 2's and don't flop a set you're always lookin' at 3 overcards = easy c-bet to rep. a K or A (or ?) on the flop & take it down.
 
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