Going all in with AKs

Under what circumstances would you go all in with AKs (or unsuited, for that matter)? For example, I just sat down with 10 dollars at the 5/10 penny tables and the guy to my right went all in with 2 dollars. I had AKs and called. The guy directly to my left pushed all in with 5 dollars (3 more to call). I knew it was a coin flip, and I have no discipline, so I called. In the long run that call will have negative EV, so I know I sholudn't have called, but I'm looking for justification, damnit! Is the only circumstance for calling an all in when you KNOW that the person doesn't have a pocket pair (and how could you really know?)

Consider going all-in yourself in that situation, it may discourage the second call.

I'd call an all in with AK before I'd push in w/ AK.

Originally Posted by Surf_Thug

I'd call an all in with AK before I'd push in w/ AK.

Huh, why?

Originally Posted by mcpeepants

Under what circumstances would you go all in with AKs (or unsuited, for that matter)? For example, I just sat down with 10 dollars at the 5/10 penny tables and the guy to my right went all in with 2 dollars. I had AKs and called. The guy directly to my left pushed all in with 5 dollars (3 more to call). I knew it was a coin flip, and I have no discipline, so I called. In the long run that call will have negative EV, so I know I sholudn't have called, but I'm looking for justification, damnit! Is the only circumstance for calling an all in when you KNOW that the person doesn't have a pocket pair (and how could you really know?)

Never, there are just too many situations when I am more likely to win then to risk my stack on a coinflip preflop, especiailly in a ring game.

when i wanna prove to someone that i pleasure lady luck more in bed.

Generally you only see players all-in before the flop with A-K in tournament play. It's just too risky and marginal a play to be even remotely justified in a cash game where players aren't forced into desperation by continually increasing blinds. If you are calling all-in after heavy action, you're probably dominated, and at best your opponent is a slight favorite against your draw, and if you're moving all-in, why risk getting called by some pair (which may dominate your hand) and gambling for all your money in a situation where you have at best a minor disadvantage?

ive played penny games from time to time if im bored and from my experience in these games many players are new and are just started to play the game and may go all-in short stacked if they have AQ, AJ, low pair, etc. so i think AK is a decent call in these penny games for $2 like that first one, although you may want to lay it down if there were other raises ahead of time or if you are out of position and think another player might call as well

Originally Posted by mcpeepants

Under what circumstances would you go all in with AKs (or unsuited, for that matter)?

When there isn't much action preflop (there will be action when people have high cards...i.e. your outs). When I think I can get someone to lay their hand down, and even if I'm wrong it's still not a bad hand heads up.

Save this decision for tournament play. Ring games are to loose at the low limits and you'll be coin flip with cash money. Save your money for rockets or cowboys and beat the hell out of his AJ or small PP later.

I'd call an all in with AK before I'd push in w/ AK

Doing this you give yourself precisely one way to win the hand.....and that is win at showdown. If you are the one who pushes all-in you have given yourself 2 ways to win......at showdown and your opponent folding. Your opponent very well may lay down those pocket 7s or A-Q to an all in, short stack desperation aside....why would you ever deliberately want to call an AI bet if you thought you were probably behind, A-K is only a potential hand....good potential, but it still loses to 2-2.

Perhaps this should be in the tourny area but it fits the discussion here.

I was in noble poker $500 garuntee two days ago. I was in aroun 9th place with 50 people left. Top 10 places paid. I didn't give half a crap about 3rd-10th. I was playing to win not get ITM.

So anyway, I'm about the 3rd biggest stack at my table and I had been pushing the smaller stacks around alot. One of the big stacks was on sit out and the other wasn't tight but not loose either, fairly aggressive. I had been heads up with him several times and he was fairly easy to deal with.

So I look down at AcKc. I over bet like im trying to steal again. I bet 400 and i beleive the blinds were at 25/50, can;t remember. So the stack that was about even with me pushes back and I see this as an opportuniy to take the chip lead so I call.

He had 77 and it held up.

Given it being in a tourny situation and if I doubled up it'd be clear sailing to the final table for sure I think it was a good call. I figured him for a mid PP because he had slowplayed big pocket pairs before, reraising than pushing the flop.

What do you guys think?

Originally Posted by mcpeepants

Under what circumstances would you go all in with AKs (or unsuited, for that matter)?

Against a loose-aggressive opponent, especially one that I knew would call my all-in.

In cash games, pre-flop i will only call an all-in with AK in two situations.

1) Where the player has very little money left and is doing a last gasp attempt,
2) They are clearly on tilt.

Even if one of these situations arises, i'm still laying it down most of the time.

The thing is most of the time you push all-in or call allin, you are going to be dominated by KK or AA. You may get a coinflip occasionally against QQ or JJ, and occasionaly you might dominate some loose guy with AQ, but generally speaking you are going to lose more than you win if you are showing down a pre-flop allin with AK.