AK can be a right bitch! How do you play it?

[chala]

Been playing on the cash tables at B365 quite abit recently, and I think I'm finally starting to improve as a player (:hope ). I'm winning a lot more hands and finallly pulling out of some hands even when I've committed a fair bit to the pot. But one thing still bugs me, and that is how to play AK. Personally I never seem to win when being dealt AK. A lot of the time it's probably just unfortunate that the flop never seems to hit me when I'm dealt AK, but I'm very reluctant to go all in, or commit a large raise when I have AK (note this is when I'm playing on the cash tables, I'd be a lot happier going all in with AK in a tournament). I've lost count of the amount of times I've saw other people go all in with AK in a cash game and lose all their money. On the other hand, it's obviously one of the best hands you can bet dealt and you should be able to take advantage of it. What are your experiences playing the (jinxed?) AK, and how do you play it?

[thephysician]

Re: AK can be a right bitch! How do you play it? No Limit I'd raise it the standard 3x big blind, and have a look to see the action. I want to see the field thin. If I haven't got position, whatever the flop, I'm betting it, the size dependent on the flop. If I have got position, then your good as you can then fold, bluff-call when you hit the flop or raise if you feel the field needs thinning. AK doesn't need to hit, but if your playing against a lot of callers, you do need to see some help. If your heads up, you feel happier, so you have to bet to get people out, or make them pay for calling with two under cards. I like AK, as I can get away from it easily.

[Jezza]

Re: AK can be a right bitch! How do you play it? AK is possibly the most troublesome hand in NL hold em, ranking alongside JJ in the difficulty it poses in a lot of situations. Indeed the hand which causes the most exits from NL hold em tournaments is AK. My take on it is like this.. How I play it depends ENTIRELY on the sort of game I am in, in a cash game or a tournament and indeed if the tournaments blinds are at the low middle or large stage. In a cash game on the internet I will seldom raise preflop with it for a lot of reasons. What you basically have is a drawing hand and if you raise upfront with it and called a few times, what are you going to do if you miss the flop? Believe me on the internet if you choose to play aggressively and bet hard at a baby flop after raising in early pos with AK you will most likely be called (and be behind) by someone who has a pocket pair or a small piece of the board - and then you have invested even more money in a pot you are not likely to win at that point. I like to limp with this hand in cash games and give my opponents no idea of the strength of my hand - letting them all limp in with their AJ and K10 type hands which you will make a mint off time and time again on the Axx and Kxx flops you connect with (when you get these flops just play your hand hard and you will find yourself paid off nicely most of the time). By limping when the flop comes pish pish pish you can just muck your hand and noone is any the wiser with you having invested the minimum. If you want to raise with AK, which can be a profitable raise, then I would say the best place to try it is the button or when you are fairly sure you will "become" the button by raising. In this way if you miss the flop and are checked to you can take the free card off and possibly hit an A or K on the turn. If I raise with AK and only get ONE caller I will probably bet the flop regardless of what comes, especially if the player is weak tight - I will never bluff multiple opponents. Remember and exercise some caution at flops where you have top pair but it is highly possible someone has two pair IE AJx or KQx and you will find AK is highly profitable in cash games. Tournament play I play it a lot differently, especially when the blinds become big (It's a great reraising hand but a poor calling one!) but I will discuss that later Loads of people disagree with me and raise everytime they get AK in a cash game regardless of position and opponents, what are everyone elses opinions? Jez

[abookiesworstnightmare]

Re: AK can be a right bitch! How do you play it? depends how much money i have to play with, if i have enough money or alot of money i'll bet AK. If i hardly have anything i'll slow play and hope i hit something and hope someone else does. Also depends on what the table is playing like, if its a tight table no way i'll raise to see everyone pack.

[Jonny1723]

Re: AK can be a right bitch! How do you play it? Hi Jezza, Thanks for a great post. I must admit I'm fairly new to Texas HE, but have always raised AK in my cash games (only low limits admitedly). However, I think from experience it makes it more difficult to get away from if the flop misses. I seem to be able to let it go most of the time, but certainly not all the time. I think I will follow your advice for a while, and see how far it gets me. Cheers. ps - JJ is my "no no" hand - I just can't seem to win with it at all. Maybe it's the limits I play at (.10/.20) but if an overcard falls I haven't once not been beat. Therefore I tend to play it like any other small pair - If I don't make a set on the flop, I fold it (unless the flop is all undercards). Is this the right way to go ? J.

[CJ Mars]

Re: AK can be a right bitch! How do you play it? I don’t play NL (preferring the gayer (TM Jezza ;) ) Limit game ) but from my limited knowledge.

From what for Limit Poker I’ve read most books would advocate always raising with AK especially in the tighter tables where players in front are more likely to fold marginal hands. AK plays well against smaller numbers of opponents so you’re aiming to try and cut down the most players on drawing hands. In multi way (say 4/5 or more players) action AK is very vulnerable to pocket pairs, straight draws etc. I was reading the Lee Jones book on low limit holdem and he says that if you miss the flop with AK and have no other possibilities (straights, flushes etc) that you wouldn’t lose much by folding. You’re over 7 to 1 to hit an AK if you miss it on the flop so the pot will generally not be giving the odds to you to play it. I think I read (maybe Jezza can confirm) that AK is only a very small favorite versus a pocket pair for example.

For me personally I raise from mid to late position generally. If I’m in early position I hold off and hope someone will raise so I can reraise when the betting comes around to me.

Regarding JJ (and even 10/10) I’ve seen in quite a few places where you should raise these for value (the Hilger book among others) from anywhere after mid position.

I ran Poker Tracker on my starting hands to date (almost 8,000) and found in decreseing order of profitability they are to date: AK is well down the list. Again these starting hands were all dealt less than 40 times (AK being dealt only 12 times but I won 10 which is against the stats I know).

QQ KK JJ AA A9s (go figure) AK AQ

[aliensyndm]

Re: AK can be a right bitch! How do you play it? The pocket pair is slight favourite to any 2 over cards pre-flop most of the time, there are occasions where it isn't, these are usually the lower pocket pairs and the over cards will usually have to be suited if they are to be favourite. Of course there are some exceptions, 78o v 22 etc.

[Jezza]

Re: AK can be a right bitch! How do you play it? Been away for a week or two getting set up for xmas and travelling - some nice replies in here and threads in the forum I will endeavor to reply to them all tonight in a PL posting frenzy (as Im stuck at my folks place playing net poker on dial up :( ) Yep Johnny JJ is the other big NL hold em trouble hand. The problem is this, if you raise preflop you will more than likely see an overcard fall and against multiple opponents you MUST check here as it is going to be a card in the playing zone (an A is the worst to see on net poker - someone ALWAYS has one!!) and its highly likely someone holds it. If it is checked around then you can make your own decision as to if your jacks or good or if someone is slowplaying. Against one opponent I would probably bet again regardless of an overcard falling (unless it was something ridiculous like a flop of AKQ) hoping to pick it up there, and if they called I would give the pot up. Another, less commonly noticed but even more dangerous IMO, trap with JJ is the baby flop. Yes you have an overpair and yes it looks SO VERY good in your hand but believe me if you get a lot of action you are probably beaten. The problem stems from the fact a board to which JJ is an overpair will probably have a lot of connecting cards on the flop like : 6710 or 892 or even 456. A lot of people (myself included) love to play suited connectors etc and if this is the case then chances are someone has two pair! (if not a str8 or at least a str8 draw). If there is no draw there and you are getting a lot of action then I would say you have to lay JJ down, (with overcards on the board this is easy to do at only a small loss but holding an overpair time and time again many players will lose everything infront of them which is why IMO this is a more dangerous board). Of course sometimes your jacks will be good but you have to develop a feel for when this is the case (and it helps big style to know who will push A10 hard on a 1089 board and who wont out of your opponents). I like to limp with JJ in cash games and try and flop a set, which will be an extremely powerful hand (and noone any the wiser you have it). In tournaments as the blinds get bigger and bigger I will play it harder and harder preflop Jez