AK Question, for all you critical thinkers..

[Surf_Thug]

Ok, first let me set the scene that all of us ring players face almost daily.

We will use 25nl as our example.

I'm in middle position with AKs or Unsuited (how much does it really matter?)

I raise to $1.00 and someone in either late position or in the blinds reraise to $3.00 or more dollars usually indicating a pair 1010's-QQ's and in the worse case AA or KK. From what i've seen the average player usually doesn't re-raise without a made hand.

Now, in the absence of any reads how does one play this?

My play:

I figure I'm going to hit an A or K on the flop (which is all that matters to me agaisn't a supposed made hand) about 30% of the time or so...
So I need at least 3/1 on my money to call in this spot.

So if the pot is $4.35 and it cost me $2.00 more to call I usually fold. If there were several limpers, or even a call of my $1.00 raise and the pot is $5.85 or so and it costs me $2.00 to call I will usually see a flop thinking that if I hit an A or a K I will have the best hand (usually), and if I miss I have to usually dump it.

My question to you:

-How much more value do you add to AK if it is suited?

-Do you advise re-raising with AKs or not without any read on the player?

-Would you call a re-raise into a pot that is laying you only 2/1 odds if you were out of position on the raiser? What if you were in position?

-What is the worst odds a pot is laying you that you will call a re-raise with AKos or suited?

I know most of these questions can't be answered without hand historys, reads on players, ect ect, but at the 25NL level I would love to get some dialog going about problems we all face with AK.

Input anyone?

[BIGandRICH]

i will answer a couple of your questions..

added value for suited: No i dont think so, not in this situation.. you dont flop a flush often enough, and if you flop a draw and no pair and they have 10/10-Q/Q, your probably not going to get good odds to draw on them for a flush, your implieds arent huge, so unless your happy to throw your whole stack on the line for a coin flip then i dont think there is much added value in having them suited..

I dont advise re-raising it.. because i wouldnt be surprise to see pokerboy69 reraise you all in with 66, and with no reads your folding here, you have to put him on KK/AA.

I would answer your other questions, but i'm too tired to be bothered.. maybe i'll post again tomorrow

[PokerPatNEU]

I would rather call 2$ more into a 4.85$ pot heads up than 2$ more into a 5.85$ pot with a player who already called 1 raise left to act behind, he's going to be getting a real good price to stay in the hand with a wide range, and even if you catch top pair it's less valuable against 2 opponents.


Without a read i usually fold to re-raises pre flop with hands like JJ and AK. QQ i will usually call a reraise with position. KK/AA obviously i'm re-raising again.

Having a good read of Tag/Lag is really beneficial pre flop just for situations like this. What is villains range? Does it include hands that AK dominates (AQ, AJ, AT, KQs?) or are you generally behind/flipping here?

[Surf_Thug]

Thanks Pat and Big, good info there..

Anyone else?