Beginner plays AK

[Alexost]

I'm just beginning to play real money Hold'em online after having read some books and playing a few thousand hands of play money at fulltilt. I'm looking for some comments on how I played this hand. Thanks!

PokerStars 0.50/1.00 Hold'em (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. CO posts a blind of $0.50.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, Button calls, SB calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: (8 SB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises</font>, SB folds, Hero calls.

At this point I'm trying to figure some pot odds calculations in effort to help with the decision on whether or not to call. Theres $4.50 in the pot (if my calcs are correct re-reading the hand history) giving me 9-1 pot odds to call in hopes to hit one of my overcards. (Two overcards with 1 card card to come I need 7-1 odds, and I have 2 cards to come so I'm well above odds needed to call... Correct?)

The board's not too scary except for the jack, and I see a win with my A or K hitting w/2 cards to come, if my opponent has a pair of jacks.

Turn: (6 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button calls.

River: (8 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button calls.

Final Pot: 10 BB

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
Hero has Ad Kd (one pair, aces).
Button has Qs Jc (one pair, jacks).
Outcome: Hero wins 10 BB. </font>

[JJack]

Welcome to 2+2.

*grunch*
You dont have full 6 outs for overcards but u have probably about 5 heads up + 1 runner runner st8 so u can call.

I would probably c/r turn but i dont know is it optimal play cus opponnet can check behind.

BTW
Pls dont post reasult. Its no matter. Only good play is matter.

Edit: If u dont hit A or K at turn and villian is TAG then u probably should call down with A high unless hit Q or mayby T.

[RemyXO]

The call on the flop is correct. Your logic is a little off - you need to discount overcard outs slightly. Also, don't look at the odds with 2 cards to come. If you do, you have to account for having to call turn bet. Facing a turn bet, you'd only have 6:1.

I like leading the turn here. Ace is a scare card for your opponent, since you raised preflop. He'd usually check behind and C/R will fail miserably.

All in all, I'd play the hand the same way.
Well done and welcome.

[Guitierez]

nh sir. Looks fine to me.

Ideal flop (and # of opponents) for a c-bet. JJack is right, don't count all 6 outs, because your A or K could give villain two pair, i.e. danger of being reverse dominated.

It's gutsy to start at Stars' 0.50/1.00, not the softest games there, AFAIK.

[jeanbaptiste36]

You can call, if you have four outs. Since you are HU you don't need to discount your overcards too much, four outs there perhaps. The backdoor is only worth half an out but still a call.

[RemyXO]

[ QUOTE ]

It's gutsy to start at Stars' 0.50/1.00, not the softest games there, AFAIK.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I could never understand starting at .10/.20.
If you have proper bankroll, .50/.1 is just fine. Stars games at this level ain't that bad. Just make sure to drop down to .25/.50 if you start running real bad. And you will.

[Alexost]

Thanks for all the replies people, and from many countries! I really appreciate it. I have devoured about 6 books on Hold'em and developed a beginning strategy to play premium hands aggressively from any position, and some less premium hands that have strong possibilities in later position and the blinds. All of this of course, depending on the composition of the flop.

I have read about discounting outs, and am working on incorporating this into my strategy. One thing I'm confused about is whether discounting outs is done in conjunction with- or separate from simply trying to put a player on a hand or range of hands. I suppose you do both at the same time, but separately, in attempt to figure out the best strategy.

Maybe it can be said that outs are used to adjust probabilities when figuring out pot odds to call, etc., and putting people on hands is a separate part of poker strategy, to help decide the best possible move.

[Alexost]

[ QUOTE ]
nh sir. Looks fine to me.

Ideal flop (and # of opponents) for a c-bet. JJack is right, don't count all 6 outs, because your A or K could give villain two pair, i.e. danger of being reverse dominated.

It's gutsy to start at Stars' 0.50/1.00, not the softest games there, AFAIK.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the reply Guitierez. So where would you suggest a beginner look for softer games? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[RemyXO]

Instead of 6 books, start with one book and plenty of play. Concentrate on Small Stakes Hold'Em (aka The Bible). Reading is no substitute for experience, trust me.
I recommend starting at PokerStars .25/.50 and posting/reading here a lot. Learn and see how the first 10-20K hands go.

[Montrealcorp]

i dunno for others here but for me ITH(internet texas hold'em by hilger) is the first book to get your hands on!

i feel SSHE(small stakes hold'em) is the best second book ever for the only reason ,ITH is a little easier to read(concept,nice Q&amp;A after each chapter,etc.) and the preflop chart easier to follow for a beginner.
Of course SSHE is a better book with more stuff to learn then ITH,but ITH is just so easy to learn from, as a starting book,once u grasp ITH read,then SSHE will be so much better for u after,since u ll be able to apply SSHE to is full capacities.
Well for me it would of been if i knew at the start what ITH was instead of other worthlees book(ie: winning low limit...)

BTW,nh u played it correctly