So now I'm questioning how I play AK

[Dave D]

The other thread has me thinking about how I play AK. Normally I would have raised here, but now, I don't know... I just don't want to be weak tight, but I think this fold was good. Do you have a better line?

Party 20+2, last hand before the break. 2235 started, 972 left. Moved to this table about 3 hands ago...

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (10 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

BB (t2260)
UTG (t2765)
UTG+1 (t2123)
UTG+2 (t1325)
MP1 (t1735)
MP2 (t1565)
MP3 (t4429)
CO (t1715)
Button (t2229)
Hero (t2305)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 raises to t150</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP3 calls t150, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, Hero calls t125, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: (t500) 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 bets t500</font>, MP3 folds, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t1000

[$hort$tacked]

Re-raise to 450-500 pre-flop and see what information that gives you. If either comes back over the top you can be pretty sure your beat unless you think that are capable of this with a hand like QQ. As for the flop, against two opponents this is a check/fold so your play was correct, but if it was against one opponent you need make a probe bet of a little less than half the pot.

-$$

[Foucault]

I think this is fine. With two others seeing the flop with you, it is profitable for you to fold AK whenever you miss. The stack sizes also make a re-raise awkward. You don't need to push as hard pre-flop, because you aren't giving nearly as good reverse implied odds to anyone lucky enough to make two pair or better when you hit.

[rockythecat99]

Eh its fine.

[$hort$tacked]

I am confused about the reverse implied odds and not re-raising preflop, can you explain this. Thanks.

-$$

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
Re-raise to 450-500 pre-flop and see what information that gives you. If either comes back over the top you can be pretty sure your beat unless you think that are capable of this with a hand like QQ. As for the flop, against two opponents this is a check/fold so your play was correct, but if it was against one opponent you need make a probe bet of a little less than half the pot.

-$$

[/ QUOTE ]

I would probably reraise, but I would reraise more against 2 players OOP. If you reraise, you can't fold to a 3rd raise.

I think the way hero played it is also fine.

[Ansky]

[ QUOTE ]
I am confused about the reverse implied odds and not re-raising preflop, can you explain this. Thanks.

-$$

[/ QUOTE ]

AK to a certain extent is a hand with bad reverse implied odds. What does this mean? It means if you are playing a reraised pot, when you flop top pair, you are usually unlikely to get action from worse hands. IE on A24 JJ, QQ, KK can fold pretty easily. Furthermore, when you get action, you may very well only get it from a hand that beats yours.

Of course this is pretty thoeretical and it depends on your opponents quite a bit.

[$hort$tacked]

AAAAh, makes perfect sense. So in a situation like this where you are not desperate stack-wise and are agaisnt several opponents, it is advantageous to just call pf rather than raise? This could be a leak in my game: always trying to get as much money as I can into the pot with hands like AK while not thinking about reverse implied odds.

-$$