Great AK article...

[Fnord]

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_maga...php?a_id=14079

[johnnyawe]

A good article. In no limit, I think I would re-raise if the initial bet was small. If he came over top of me, I'd have to fold.

In general, I hate calling pre-flop raises from a good and agressive player if I know it will be heads up. I figure no matter what the flop is, the pre flop raiser is going to come out betting, and I will have no choice but to fold unless I caught a nice flop. It basically amounts to gambling that I'll hit on the flop.

Last night in a short handed game, I called a decent (3x or 4x BB) pre-flop raise with ATs. Flop was 10 and two rags, giving me Top Pair Top Kicker. Great, right? Well, the pre-flop raiser leads with a HUGE HUGE bet! I had no choice but to fold, as his betting pattern was consistent with him holding TT - AA.. So why did I bother calling the pre-flop raise if I was going to lay it down even if I caught top pair top kicker? What was I hoping to flop?

By the way, the guyed showed his cards: J3o, a complete stone cold bluff. I had to tip my hat to him.

[DrNoChance]

Thanks for posting this link. I've basically been playing AK in the way recommended by this article, but was starting to think that I was being too conservative. I think the article hits the nail right on the head. If someone who only raises with quality hands in early position makes a raise, think about throwing away AK. Usually, you're a slight underdog....and occassionally you're totally done for (if they have AA/KK)

[fishstick]

very interesting.

ak can be a lot more complex than just the automatic raise (which is how most people play it).

good article - i look forward to part 2.

[FyrFytr998]

So this article is the reason Rippy always wins with his 7/2 Off suit. Everyone else is playing their A's and K's, lol!

[offset]

That was a great article, I agree. Consider a slightly reverse situation though. The other night, I sit down (online) at a PLHE $25 game in LP, and am dealt AdQd. There were 3 callers I think ahead of me, so I raised to $3-4. The small blind come back at me with a $6 raise. Now, I just sat down, have no idea who this guy is or how he plays, and he's bet $10 preflop from a stack in the upper 20s. I call thinking he very well could be a bluffing maniac. He thinks the same of me I think. Flop comes all rags, and he bets $15, I call -- miss miss. He shows pocket 10s, and I rebuy. I am curious what some folks here think of this kind of aggressive play. FYI, I went on to recoup in about 40 hands, and ended the night up $100 after 120 or so hands, basically from similar gut bets and calls (once I had a lot more info on the players, naturally). Thanks,

Offset

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[!Luck]

I recently had an intersting session where i was "lucky" to get a bunch of ak and aq out of all of them only one hit the flop, much worse then the 33 or so percent it should of been, however on the one where i did hit the flop i think i might of been able to get it all back. I do have ot admit that for me ak is almost always a reaise. I guess ia m not thinking about that hand correctly

[Fnord]

I wouldn't go that far. However, without chances to catch on the Turn + River and with the ability of a dominated hand to turn the tables on you if they hit one of their 3 outs, it has a lot less value in No Limit vs Limit. Particularly at a full table.