Should I be mucking AQ and AK when short stacks go all in?

[Axulus]

I can't not count the number of times I've lost with AQ/AK against short stacks with a low pocket pair. It seems like it might be worth it when I have a very large stack and can afford the risk, but the typical situation is that I am typically ~2x their stack. If I lose it pretty much throws me out of the tournament. Should I be taking the more conservative route and wait until I have a decent pocket pair of my own against these people? An additional risk is that they happen to have QQ KK or AA.

While I typically finish in the top 25% in the MTTs that I play, I've never once made it to the final table because I always seem to get a run of bad luck against these short stacked ppl. I feel that perhaps the best strat would be to never call with anything less than JJ QQ KK or AA unless I'm also shortstacked?

[baudib]

No, absolutely not. AK is made for calling shortstack all-ins. For that matter, it's made for calling big stack all-ins.

If you think shortstack shoves are more often pairs than Ax/Kx/QJ/JT/suited crap/ATC, you're crazy.

Remember, your goal is not to stay alive, but to accumulate as many chips as possible.

If the shortstack is shoving about top 30%, which may be conservative, you're going to win 62% of the time:

equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 62.360% 59.85% 02.51% 10740380948 450051358.00 { AQs+, AQo+ }
Hand 1: 37.640% 35.13% 02.51% 6304462256 450051358.00 { 22+, A2s+, K8s+, Q9s+, J9s+, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, A2o+, KTo+, QTo+, JTo }

[revolvingiris]

Never fold to a SS AI with AK, ever.

[shoneec]

You couldn't wish for a better hand to call SS's AI (except AA of course).

[Luco]

Baudib is right!

[Sabr1988]

If you think the SS's chances are bigger then yours when u have AK or AQ then think again, he is shortstacked, you got one of the best hands preflop, so just make the call, maybe he dont have pocketpairs, maybe he have AT, AJ or Axs and just try to take the chance..
Ofc. sometimes we all can get beated in a unlucky way but thats poker, you cant expect to win every single hand with AK, sometimes u loose, but mostly you will win.
But remember, allways try to focus on the player who make the AI, how has his recent hands been, have he been folded every single hand, or did he try to call to his position to see the flop sometimes, then you can get a small idea of if he is a player that play all kinda hands or only highpairs, AK, AQ. You will easy see the difrence.

Good luck.