some thoughts on playing AK, do you see why?

{titled edited to please me - insideish joke - a500lbgorilla}

i seem to notice the odd comment on there that lots of people seem to lose a lot of money on AK. i definitely have my weaknesses as a player but for some reason i seem to play this hand pretty well. this is for the $25NL party games, i'm not sure about higher limit games and player behaviour up there

what i've realised about AK is that its a speculative hand. you either want to flop your ace or king (which will happen roughly a third of the time), or you want to be in a situation to bluff with strength at the pot if the flop comes as low rags. so how much i raise with AK will be dependent on my opponents, their playing styles, my table image to them and what hands i've played at them before.

basically, if i think i can get away with a bluff, i will raise larger than normal (say $5), and try and take the pot down with an overbet at the flop if it comes low rags. hopefully people with pocket pairs and the like will put you on KK or QQ or AA.

however if i think i'm unlikely to get away with a bluff (ie i've been raising a lot of hands, or bluffed before and been caught), i'll raise smaller than normal ($1) and be prepared to give it away on the flop if i don't flop my A or K. however in this situation if you do flop your A or K, betting large at the pot will sometimes lead people to think you're bluffing again and they will call you down with a pocket pair or something, and you can sting them nicely.

Playing the table is some sage advice.

-'rilla

Originally Posted by fkn2pt

{titled edited to please me - insideish joke - a500lbgorilla}

?? please explain

It's funny, do you see why?

-'rilla

I don't have a hand to post but say its a .25/.50 NL game

you raised it to $2 pf with AK, 2 callers

flop is 972 rainbow, definitely value bet it here, but be prepared to give it up if you get called/reraised.

Otherwise, don't even bother betting at a 8,9,10 flop with 2 suited.

Originally Posted by jmontis

I don't have a hand to post but say its a .25/.50 NL game

you raised it to $2 pf with AK, 2 callers

flop is 972 rainbow, definitely value bet it here, but be prepared to give it up if you get called/reraised.

Otherwise, don't even bother betting at a 8,9,10 flop with 2 suited.

How are you "value betting" if you don't want any calls?

-'rilla

are you guys making fun of Sklansky's "Do you see why" comments? Those are annoying as f***

I love AK because it is such an obvious hand to put someone on. Raise preflop and then throw it down if the ace hits...everyone assumes you have AK. They'll even ask after the hand if you had it about a fifth of the time. This is how AK makes me money...Or more like how repping AK makes me money. :P

I think fkn2pt sums up AK play pretty nicely.

How would you play it with AK hitting A 6 3 on the flop and one guy keeps calling you. Do you increase bets or get cautious? The reason I ask is that I often see this when my AK loose to Ax hitting two pair.

Definately still bet the pot on the turn but watch yourself on the river. A lot of times I wont bet because of the check raise possibility if I'm in POS. But if I'm early I'll bet near pot and hope not to get raised...too many people call with Ax even though they havent got 2 pr or a flush draw. They think everyone is like them and plays their middle pair. Basically said you have to analyze the opponent

As 'rilla so wisely put it

Playing the table is some sage advice.