AKo Personal... Theory Stuff

[soda]

Ok, so I've decided to go back to NL for a while. I'm currently playing $100 buyin 6 max. Learning, taking some hits, etc. I'm moving in the right direction, I hope, but my biggest downfall is AKo.

I'm losing 2BB on average every time I play this hand. Only 128 times since October 10th, but still, I seriously doubt it's statistical variance. I don't feel comfortable with the hand. I'm unsure how to play it... especially now that I realize what I've been trying isn't working.

So, if anyone has some personal thoughts on this specific hand, I'd love to hear them. Also, if anyone has read any published info or internet info on AKo in SH NL games, I'd love to be referenced to that. I'm going to read/study anything I can find on this hand because it should be a good money maker for me (and not just by folding it every time I get it, which would net me like 2k for the year had I done that - sick).

As a side note, I'm in the losing column for every single off suit ace and in the winning column for all suited aces AKs - A6s. I doubt these are statistical anamolies, but more likely issues with my style. If anyone has insight, maybe you had this issue too - could you offer some help?

Thanks,

soda

ps - I can offer more statistical info if people need it to form an opinion.

[DaycareInferno]

you might be overplaying made 1 pair hands in a lot of big low value situations. a lot of it is going to be statistical variance though. i had a stretch of like 30k hands with a loss on KK, and i'm pretty decent with overpairs, so i wouldn't be too worked up over this. not that it ever hurts to look into things.

[soda]

[ QUOTE ]
you might be overplaying made 1 pair hands in a lot of big low value situations. a lot of it is going to be statistical variance though. i had a stretch of like 30k hands with a loss on KK, and i'm pretty decent with overpairs, so i wouldn't be too worked up over this. not that it ever hurts to look into things.

[/ QUOTE ]

First of all, thank you for your input.

I looked into my year long data and it's even worse though... so for something like 80k hands, I'm down $3 every time I decide to play AKo. Also, I just feel and know in my heart I'm leaking here, but I honestly don't know why. I might be calling too much, I might be CBing less often - I don't know. What I do know is that a newb strat has got to be better than losing 3 BB every time I play the hand. Otherwise, I can just fold it and probably increase my winrate that way (clearly not optimal).

I would agree completely with your observation of the variance as well, but how could I be losing on ALL off suit aces while winning on ALL suited aces AKs-A6s. It's a little too weird to fit into the category of statistical variance I think.

I don't know, but I feel like plugging this leak would help me a lot and you are certainly correct about overvaluing TPTK type hands imo. I will continue to work on that.

Thanks,

soda

[Sh@i'tan]

what % of the time are you 3betting pf when you hold AK?

[DaycareInferno]

i'd also look at how often your'e stacking off on the flop/turn with tptk. not that you shouldn't do that a lot, but you should also be releasing it a lot on the flop to various passive or nitty opponents that won't push their money in with worse.

[JFsports]

soda, post some hands which you think are typical of the way you play AK.