PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

PartyPoker $33 Speed Tournament, Big Blind is t60 (9 handed) Converter on pregopoker.com

UTG (t1702)
UTG+1 (t683)
MP1 (t3685)
MP2 (t1910)
MP3 (t2420)
CO (t1675)
Button (t2380)
Hero (t1880)
BB (t3665)

Preflop: Hero is in SB with K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
UTG calls t60, <font color="gray">UTG+1 folds</font>, MP1 calls t60, <font color="gray">MP2 folds</font>, <font color="gray">MP3 folds</font>, <font color="red">CO raises to t220</font>, <font color="gray">Button folds</font>, Hero calls t190, <font color="gray">BB folds</font>, UTG calls t160, <font color="gray">MP1 folds</font>

Flop: (t780) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, <font color="red">CO bets t360</font>

HERO?

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

OOP I would've shoved preflop.

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

I would push preflop. There is t430 in the pot, almost 1/4 of your stack.

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

With &gt;30 BBs is it really optimal to push PF here? I certainly would not play like that this early on. Sure, it looks like that move would have worked here but what if the flop had come down Q,7,3 say? Then you would have been in a sticky situation. With ~10 BBs a push PF would be fine.

As played the call PF was OK. On the flop i woud have bet 3/4 or the pot. I think a push is fine too, depends I guess on what you think the villain will call.

Stu

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

Another read dependent play for me. If villain is laggo, I push preflop because I know he'll call with AT or QK or whatever. If villain is tight, I call and hope to smack the flop.

The flop is UGLY. Basically, all you can do here is make a read, assess his range, and play accordingly. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

maybe i'm too weak tight, but i tend to fold this. too often i've seen mid pairs call my pushes. i'm not good enough post flop to call this, if your kung fu is good though, a call might be in order...

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

I don't mind calling preflop. As you played what's really the question here, I assume you checked the flop in order to checkraise so lets push! If you aren't going to push PF, then you need to be prepared to put your chips in the middle on the flop if you hit.

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

AK is a premium hand, you should never fold this in this situation. Even a weak player would surely want to see the flop with the villains call?

Stu

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

i have little experience in the turbos but from what ive seen/read, pushing preflop seems fine here, CO can still make an easy fold or terrible call, both work out. No1 has AA/KK here enough to worry about, so your most likely worst case scenerio is that your racing.

Since you did see a flop though, i dont think opening w/ a raise is a bad idea because of the board (2/3 of pot), but i really like a C/R here because the board is so scary that villian could fold a number of hands to you easy. And im even more inclined to do so because of his very weak raise.

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

The guy has 99, raise and your taking down the pot.

Re: PP 33s - Still don\'t know how to play AK
 

[ QUOTE ]
The guy has 99, raise and your taking down the pot.

[/ QUOTE ]
Or maybe he has AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, AT, KQ, KJ, QJ, or Tc9c.

results
 

Generally I prefer putting in 220 and seeing a flop to putting in my whole stack with AK but considering I'm OOP and there is over 400 in the pot and the raise came from CO maybe pushing IS better.

Anyhow, the flop kind of scared me and I folded. I think this move was due to a combination of running bad lately which has lead to me playing scared at times.

Other guy called, then they checked it down and ended up carving the pot as they both had Ax making me feel like a first class pooch.

Thanks for the responses. If anyone has more arguments for pushing or calling preflop I'd love to hear it. Folding is awful though IMO .

Re: results
 

If you're not prepared to get your money in here on this flop then calling really is awful...

Personally, I can't fault a fold to be honest, you're OOP and it's not like villian is open-raising, with limpers his hand range must be slightly tighter I guess.

I don't really fancy a push here either. Given you have slightly more than t1500 the starting stack, I just call here.

You should be pushing over his flop bet though IMO.