Don't raise AK preflop, ever acceptable?

[Gonso]

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Gonzo, at first I agreed with you that one of my comments maybe did not add to the conversation. Then I see later you post a funny photo possibly ascribing kitten like qualities to those who play AK differently. I'm not sure if your trying to add to the conversation or be funny. Either way, I'm not offended or tilted by your remarks. My post was intended to get people thinking and reviewing this post shows clearly it was porovocative.

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First off, lighten up a little bit. I'm not sure why emo kitten would offend you or tilt you if you’re an adult, especially after you yourself came in talking as if no one here knows how to play AK and made a number of snide commets.

Second, you've been backpedaling quite a bit since your first post in the thread. Just so there’s no misunderstanding what I’m referring to:


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If I'm in the cutoff or on the button and it's folded to me, I'm not raising most of the time with calling stations to my left.

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And then,


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In the BB and it's folded around to me I would almost NEVER raise with it

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Later that turned into how you actually do usually raise AK most of the time. In the second case, I’ll assume you meant SB since you can’t raise if it’s folded to you in the BB. Anyway, both of these plays are tight-passive by definition. So is referring to AK as a “relatively weak holding.”

In the first scenario, you’re not even button raising AK preflop for value against two calling stations in the blinds… this pretty much defies the concept of exploiting your opponents mistakes. You’ve passed up a very +EV move to go to the flop with two guys whose ranges are literally any two cards. If one hits a king with KT or whatever, he’s calling you down just the same in a raised pot as he would be if you had limped, so why not get more value for your hand? Because you’re afraid to play a big pot with someone who will call you down light?

I'm sorry if you don't like people telling you you're playing this wrong, but that's the truth. Beyond that, your OP is rife with misapplied poker theory. Maybe you should cut back on making comments like "is the light in your head coming on" until you get the basics down.

Anyway the OPs question has been answered a dozen times over. If someone is still having trouble open a Beginner's thread, or if you want to brag about how astounding you are like every other person seems to be doing, BBV is for you (warning: more MS Paints there)