[Andy B]

It's fine as a stealing hand. It's somewhat OK to limp in late with it, especially if the bring-in is 1/3 of a bet or less. The half-bet bring-in on Stars and other places cuts down on your implied odds too much. If it's raised in front of you, fold this dog quickly.

AK is a fine starting hand in hold'em. You get a three-card flop to try to make a pair, and top pair/top kicker is frequently enough to win. In stud, you pay for those cards one at a time, and one-pair/two-pair hands aren't as strong, especially in multi-way pots.