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Server Time: 9/4/2008 9:56:04 PM PACIFIC |
 Critique my strategy for playing AK., SendMoney, 17. Sep 2003 18:47 | ||
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| I've developed a new strategy for playing AK and I'd like to know what everybody thinks. OK first off before the flop I almost always limp in with it. The few times I raise with it is when I'm in late position and it's folded to me, or when I have AKs and there are 2+ limpers in the pot before me, this is to set up the flush draw and buy the button most of the time. Otherwise I prefer to limp AK, suited or not, but I'll always smooth call with AK if there is a raise in front me of. On the flop I'll bet/raise/re-raise if an A or K fall on an otherwise unpaired board. If the flop comes all low rags with no flush draw I'll usually fold to a flop bet, although I might bet the flop to win the pot right there or set up the free card play if I'm on the button. Of course I'll stay in if I have AKs and I flop a flush draw with. I'll also tend to call if the flop contains 10J 10Q or JQ to give me a gutshot to the nut straight to go with my possibly live overcards. However in these situations I'll play my overcards somewhat passively if they do hit because I recognize that when my overcard hits it could give someone else a straight or two pair. To make a long story short my strategy is to limp in encouraging weak aces and Kxs to enter the pot and pay me off big time when an A or K flops and the kicker comes into play. By limping it's also much easier for me to fold on the flop when I get no A or K since I don't have much invested. It also disguises the strength of your hand rather well when you flop a real monster like a full house or two aces, two kings, an ace and a king, etc. The only real downside to limping with AK is that you allow small pairs to enter the pot and they will sometimes hit a set at the same time you hit an A or K, this can cause some major headaches. However I think a better portion of the time you will make many bets when an A or K hits since you have the big kicker, and for the most part no fear of an overcard if you flop a K. In a nutshell - Limp limp limp. Flop an A or K = bet bet bet. Don't flop an A or K = fold fold fold. So, any modifications? | ||
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| Re: Critique my strategy for playing AK., EC, 17. Sep 2003 22:46 | ||
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| Too many "rules." You have to play it situationally without coming up with hard and fast rules that apply to every situation you can think of. I also completely disagree with limping all the time with AK. You have to at least try to drive people out, it isn't really the small pairs you're worried about (who will likely call anyway in a LL game), it's the flush and straight draws, and crap hands that can magically turn into 2 pair or better. Even if raising only drives one person out, that could have been the hand that would have beat you. And your raise can often buy you a free card on the flop. Besides that, AK is also a value raise. It's a strong hand and needs to be protected. Eli on 17. Sep 2003 18:47 SendMoney wrote: > I've developed a new strategy for playing AK and I'd like to know what everybody > thinks. OK first off before the flop I almost always limp in with it. The few > times I raise with it is when I'm in late position and it's folded to me, or > when I have AKs and there are 2+ limpers in the pot before me, this is to set up > the flush draw and buy the button most of the time. Otherwise I prefer to limp > AK, suited or not, but I'll always smooth call with AK if there is a raise in > front me of. > > On the flop I'll bet/raise/re-raise if an A or K fall on an otherwise unpaired > board. If the flop comes all low rags with no flush draw I'll usually fold to a > flop bet, although I might bet the flop to win the pot right there or set up the > free card play if I'm on the button. Of course I'll stay in if I have AKs and I > flop a flush draw with. > > I'll also tend to call if the flop contains 10J 10Q or JQ to give me a gutshot > to the nut straight to go with my possibly live overcards. However in these > situations I'll play my overcards somewhat passively if they do hit because I > recognize that when my overcard hits it could give someone else a straight or > two pair. > > To make a long story short my strategy is to limp in encouraging weak aces and > Kxs to enter the pot and pay me off big time when an A or K flops and the kicker > comes into play. By limping it's also much easier for me to fold on the flop > when I get no A or K since I don't have much invested. It also disguises the > strength of your hand rather well when you flop a real monster like a full house > or two aces, two kings, an ace and a king, etc. > > The only real downside to limping with AK is that you allow small pairs to > enter the pot and they will sometimes hit a set at the same time you hit an A or > K, this can cause some major headaches. However I think a better portion of the > time you will make many bets when an A or K hits since you have the big kicker, > and for the most part no fear of an overcard if you flop a K. > > In a nutshell - Limp limp limp. Flop an A or K = bet bet bet. Don't flop an A > or K = fold fold fold. > > So, any modifications? | ||
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| Re: Critique my strategy for playing AK., Machinegun68, 18. Sep 2003 02:18 | ||
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| I agree. I would raise a lot more with AK especially in short-handed situations (heads-up it might warrant a re-raise). I too have the tendency to just limp all the time with "Big Slick." Definitely raising in late position or short-handed is most often appropriate. Otherwise I would say your play of AK is quite good. I have problems folding this hand in key situations when the flop doesn't fit. | ||
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| Re: Critique my strategy for playing AK., shorn, 18. Sep 2003 06:44 | ||
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| I think you are losing money by playing AK this way. The only times I will limp with it are (1) UTG if I have AKs and so I want a large field with the flush draw and extra outs; (2) in the cutoff or OTB when there are already 4 callers or more in the pot (now I am GIVING implied odds to them by raising, so I want to see a cheap flop before committing more $$); or (3) in the SB and BB with a lot of callers for the implied reason, but also because in those spots you can checkraise a good flop with a disguised hand. In most other cases, I will raise pre-flop. You have potentially the third best starting hand (OK, I know that many will say QQ-22 are better, but only by 3% or so), so why not raise? Also, you definitely want to limit the field with this hand because it isn't strong enough yet to warrant a lot of players in the pot with it. Finally, if you have raised and you get a good flop, you will win (on average) 1.5 BB's more than you would have with 3 opponents. I realize that you have adopted this strategy because you have probably been through a recent run where you raised, a bunch of folks came along, and you lost to a freak str8 or two pair, so you figure you might as well save the extra 1/2 bet. Over the long run though, simply calling with AK pre-flop in most situations will deduct $$ from your hourly win rate. Steve | ||
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| Re: Critique my strategy for playing AK., 4 POKER, 18. Sep 2003 09:09 | ||
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| I feel, that in most situations, the hand should come in for a raise and even a re-raise against certain opponents. Sometimes I would just limp in with it, like if I was in the blinds- I would try to use my position to maneuver the flop if the flop happens to favor me; and you can trap someone with an Ace or a King with a weaker kicker by trying to get it heads up or 3-way action. When your A-K is suited, it will play stronger against a fuller field pre-flop, because you'll have the outs of flopping a flush or a draw to one. But the problem with A-K, whether it's suited or not is, when you 'do' have too many players seeing the flop, if you happen to flop an Ace, or a King....there could be *all sorts* of drawing hands out there, including players who have flopped two pair, and things like that. It's great when you 'do' flop something with alot of potential (like a flush draw or two pair), but all-in-all, I think it plays better with less opponents seeing the flop. Another reason being........sometimes, just the strength of Ace high w/nut kicker will win the pot, but that won't happen if there's too many players contesting for the pot. With one or two players in the pot, you can 'be' more aggresive with the hand, (even when you don't flop an A or a K), and you can cause them to fold off hands like middle pair, bottom pair; especially if you raised it coming in.......and even if they DO call you, you still have outs to improve. Okay, I know that there are players that will NEVER throw away middle pair, but in general, being aggresive with A-K preflop will be a more profitable play in the long run. It's how you handle the hand *post-flop* that can make this holding a trap for you; especially when you're trying to bully 5 or 6 players without flopping anything! Shorthanded play, it's a 'must raise' hand because Ace high will win a fair amount of the time in a showdown. Now....there will be times where I wouldn't even *call* a raise with A-K if the betting is already raised and re-raised to me.This will happen more in 'live' games because I *know* what types of hands that my opponents come in for a raise with, or a re-raise; and if the hand is 3 or 4 bets to me by very tight/solid/aggresive opponents..... A-K can also be dominated; and if it's not suited, it might not have anything to 'fall back on'. This may be an exception, and I wouldn't always release it pre-flop; but like with any strong drawing hand.......you have to give yourself more options that may sometimes be the best choice to make at that particular time for that particular situation. 4P- | ||
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| Re: Critique my strategy for playing AK., SendMoney, 18. Sep 2003 09:47 | ||
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| I should have prefaced my strategy by saying this is how I play AK in the super fishy .50/$1 Internet Limit Hold Em games. In these games people will call you down with pocket pairs under 4 or 5 board cards, or with call you all the way with A2o when the flop is 9 7 2 even when they miss two pair or trips. The point is you actually have to show down the best hand to win. I'm not stating that Roy Cooke should use my strategy to play $30/$60 Hold Em and the Bellagio, but I think at low limits trying to play AK or AKs against a rag flop, trying to bet it like an overpair is a big money leak. Your logic is you don't want to give hands list QJ a or 10J a free chance to catch when the flop comes something like 3 5 7, but all too often when I raise AK preflop the flop comes without an A or K two thirds of the time, someone will bet into me, and now what can I do? Some people will raise AK in this situation, and bet the turn and river even when no ace or king comes. Occasionally the A or K will come, and my AK hand will get check/raised on the turn by a set or a made hand. I've adopted a similar strategy for playing pocket jacks at these extremely fishy low limit tables. Sometimes I'll raise, sometimes I'll limp in with them, I find that pocket jacks can do very well when you limp in and the flop comes 10 high or lower - nobody can put you on the overpair. When the flop comes AK6, you can discretely fold with no one the wiser and little invested. | ||
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| Re: Critique my strategy for playing AK., shorn, 18. Sep 2003 10:15 | ||
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| I think you should still raise pre-flop the majority of the time and if the flop comes not to your liking, then see if you have odds for a 3-outer (because of the propensity of people to play any Ace at those limits) and if you don't, you fold and move on. IMO, limping pre-flop hurts you by increasing the chance that someone who wouldn't have called two bets cold will limp behind you and hit something that they won't fold AND it hurts you by decreasing the size of the pot when you flop a big hand and want others to draw. I agree that betting when nothing comes into a field of more than two players at that limit is stupid. But, I don't think that you should (again, IMO) play incorrectly pre-flop because you don't flop a good hand a majority of the time. | ||
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| Re: Critique my strategy for playing AK., kennycatkiller, 19. Sep 2003 10:28 | ||
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| I play mostly at the off-Strip casinos in Vegas (Orleans, Bldr Sta, Palace Sta,et al), mostly 1/2/4/8/8--yes, the blinds are only half what they usually are. Thus, if one raises pre-flop, the raise is to $6. So, I favor limping with AK most of the time, as do you. But, in my case, assuming only the blinds are in, you have to risk $6 to win $3, and you really have nothing--even a lowly pair of deuces are favored over AK (ignoring flop and post-flop pressure), Now, with full blinds (i.e., 2/4/4/8/8), I would usually prefer raising pre-flop. Here, you risk $8 to win the $6 in blinds, and you often eliminate the "automatic" callers--those who call any un-raised pot. Some time ago, I posted a query to solicit "expert" advice as to how one should adjust to the perceived (at least to me) differences in the so-called half-blind and the full=blind games, but did not get much by way of replies. | ||
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