What is it about AKs?

[bronx3]

In fact, Doyle Brunson actually prefers AK over AA or KK. He says the latter hands are too difficult to get away from and as a result you do one of two things:
-win a small pot
-lose a big pot

With AK, its the opposite. If you completely miss the flop and someone leads out all in, it's an easy fold.

 

[mitchellz]

I have won alot of money with with AK and have lost alot of money. Early in my poker playing I fell into the alure of the famous AK and chased the draw to the river. I have learned the hard way If you don't hit on the flop fold.

 

[rocket ronn]

alot of players dont know how to fold AK
they think if they hit any of them they are winning
AK gets you in trouble
they play them like aces

 

[chadherczeg]

Early in a tourney it's a good raising hand but if you miss and are up against more than one opponent you almost always have to lay it down. I might even fold it preflop if a raise is too big in front of me or if there is a reraise behind or in front of me. No need to put a lot of money on an incomplete hand when the blinds are small. I'll save my super aggressice AK play for when the blinds are hi and theres an ante.

 

[mr3window]

As with any hand it depends upon position--who your playing with--and how much you have in your chip count. I think its worth seeing a flop--but I will dump it against a HUGE preflop raise with multiple calls--especially early in a tounament(you'll surely lose to 9 2 offsuit). Good luck

 

[Stu_Ungar]

They are!! you have made 9 so far!!

 

[beatlebug]

AKs is highly overated

Hi All,

In my opinion, unless you hit with the AK, it is as worthless as any other unpaired hole cards. My play usually involves a pot bet to lessen the field and then take it from there. I have at times, deep into a tourney, just folded it to save my chips so I could cover the high blinds.

Beatlebug

 

[juanchoak]

ak

i think ak is a strong hand but its totally overated, people cant just lay it down no matter what, its funny tho, over the years i've learned to sometimes fold this hand preflop ,. when you are in late position and ur oponent makes a very strong bet, because i've seen the big slick get cracked so many times by a pocket pair even deuces.

 

[chadherczeg]

I agree with you a hundred percent on this. Especially early in a tournament when the blinds are relatively small and no ante, they play it like it is AA, they reraise a reraise with it and if they call all in's preflop with it. What people fail to realize is that it is only going to hit a little over a third of the time, and if you are up against 22 that doesn't seem like great odds for such a wannabe great hand. I understand reraising with it in position and gambling with it if you have a large chip stack, but why put your tournament life in jeopardy when you have an incomplete hand. Yeah it sure does look pretty preflop but after the flop (which is where true poker is played) it isn't always that pretty. I would rather have 22 than AK any day because at least then i can lay it down if i don't hit a set. So many people want to see if their card will come on the turn or river and i don't understand it. Just like the other day a guy got what he asked for against me, He raised in the cutoff with AKo and i had K-10s on the button, i cold call his raise and the blinds fold. the flop comes 10-6-2 rainbow. he makes a continuation bet, i raise 3x his bet to see where i am at. Here is where he makes his worst decision. A smart player knows he needs to make one of two decisions here, either reraise to represent that you have a bigger hand than you really do or fold. He decideds to just cold call and on the turn the Kc comes out putting a straight and flush draw on board, he checks so of course i make a near pot size bet just in case he has QJ and is playing donkey poker or just in case he has AA he might think i hit the K and thought i was good, and he check raises me all in and shows down AK. He could have saved himself a lot of trouble not overplaying and chasing his hand, but as most idiots do, he got into trouble and got knocked out with the worst hand. sorry to talk so long, but i feel very strongly about people who overplay AK and AQ, so that is my spiel, i will let it go now. Gl on the felt.

 

[Ummagumma]

Its a good hand pre flop but thats about it. If you miss on the flop it SHOULD be easy to lay down but for some reason people just keep callin with it...i guess thats a good thing since you'll end up with their chips in the long run...buts its hella annoying when they river the ace against your pocket pair lol

 

[rsmolen15]

i would take them dangerous dueces over ak ne day plus 22 is one of my favorite hands...

 

[douglassf]

AK is the "hand of fool" that normally in freeroll games put "allin"

 

[orangecat]

There is a simple solution to playing AK properly(IMO), play it as you would play a small PP, limp in EP only calling a 3xBB bet if someone bets(folding to any raise larger than 3BB) and raise in LP then c-bet the flop.

Thats my take on AK.

That is exactly how I play AK. KUDOS.
I couldnt have said it any better. Always remember a pair is a pair. AK is AK. If the flop doesnt help you drop it like its hot.

If it looks like AK, Talks like AK and walks like AK, then its only AK. LOL

 

[TrashmanAce]

AK is the last hand more poker players play then any other hand there is.



Trash
No substance here other then the Green Leafy one in front of me.

 

[shinedown.45]

i think AK is a good starting hand but that is it... it a starting hand... if u dont hit get the heck out. just my opinion

If you don't c-bet, your losing alot of value with AK

i would take them dangerous dueces over ak ne day plus 22 is one of my favorite hands...

22 is a totally crap hand, that in order for it to be successful, you have to hit your set on the flop, otherwise it has a tendancy to be counterfeited.
You can keep those dueces againdt my raise with AK and when three overs to you 2s hit the board and I bet, you'll be folding thos fast, and if you don't I can bet your a losing player.

 

[WVHillbilly]

This entire thread, at least most of it, is terrible. It's filled with incorrect ideas and suggestions. It's unfortunate that many new players will read this thread and try to implement some of these very wrong ideas into their play.

 

[c9h13no3]

This entire thread, at least most of it, is terrible. It's filled with incorrect ideas and suggestions. It's great for my bankroll that many new players will read this thread and try to implement some of these very wrong ideas into their play.

Fixed

 

[chipchart]

I believe that it can make you a lot of money....but it can also lose you a lot of money, truly you just have to analyze the situation that you are in, unfortuantley many people are incapable of doing just that, and if it's suited they find it nearly impossible to lay down, not that I'm complaining, as this has given me lots of money when people refuse to lay it down.

 

[c9h13no3]

If you think it's terrible, then please enlighten us with CORRECT ideas and suggestions. Don't say something is wrong, then not offer any original ideas of your own. Lame.

Because this has been discussed before.
More than once.

Use the search function.

The End.