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Old 12-01-2007, 12:14 PM
Albert Moulton Albert Moulton is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Live Full Ring NLHE
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Default Re: AK preflop. Question on Concept 22 in NLHTAP.

Being all-in tends to negate any positional advantage. In fact, when it comes time to push or fold, being first to act is often an advantage because you have what Harrington calls "first in vigorish," a.k.a. maximum fold equity.

So, moving all-in with AK is better than with 22-66, for example, because it will typically do better when called than most small pairs.

For example, let's say that the blinds are high, somebody raises, and you reraise all-in with AK expecting to get called by any pair, A7+, and KQ. Vs a {22+,A7s+,KQs,A7o+,KQo} range, AK has 59% equity. Even vs any pair {22+}, AK has 43.5% equity. Buy 44, for example, has only 44% equity vs {22+,A7s+,KQs,A7o+,KQo}. And 44 vs any pair (22+} has only a 29.5% equity.

So, while it's true that "hot and cold" AK is behind pocket pairs (except AKs vs 22 when they don't share suits), AK is never very much of a dog vs anything except AA. Even vs KK, AK has 31% equity. But low pairs, when called by a higher pair, have less than 19% equity, which is the same as AK vs only KK-AA. In fact, AK is only is terrible shape vs exactly AA where it has only 8% equity.

So, AK is often a good all-in hand because it does better, on average, when called than most other hands. When combined with some fold equity, AK becomes a powerful all-in hand in many circumstances preflop.

AK might not be a good all-in hand if stacks are deep and you have no need to get into a coin flip situation (or worse) early in a tournament. For example, AK is not very good if you face a raise and a reraise from tight players early in the tournament when stacks are deep, since at least one of them might very well have a big pair. You should often fold AK in that kind of situtation.
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