Theory: on AK

Dan BRIGHT · #1 09-26-2006, 10:04 PM

Lately there seems to be some confusion on this board about how to play AK. There are many handposts where hero (villain) seems to be asking trivial questions and making silly plays with this hand. It is well known that poker legend Doyle Brunson considers AK to be the best hand in no limit hold em - and in my mind and the minds of no limit holdem specialists everywhere, this is the undisputed truth.

To shed some light on this topic, let me first present a few examples about where AK has been befouled by someone.

Case 1: As seen in the september [censored] thread, tcorbin16 had AsKs in a hand vs cts. The flop was 66A and cts bet out just over 3/4 the pot. Tcorbin16 flatcalled the nuts. On the turned 5, cts checked and Tcorbing16 checked behind the nuts. On the river cts bet the pot and Tcorbin16 folded the nuts (not a misclick, suprisingly).

Case 2: In this hand, a very confused hero playing almost-nl decides it is prudent to muck the nuts face-up. Perhaps he did this for metagame,but in my opinion, this is nothing but stupidgame. http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...e=2#Post7405856

Case 3: In this hand, the hapless hero fails to bet the turn with the AK top pair, top kicker. He then opts to flatcall river. This is a crime. http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...e=0#Post7435940

Once again, the cries of AKaholics are heard everywhere when the best hand in hold em is so grossly misplayed. I propose a theorem to act as a corrective measure for misguided and lost poker players around the globe. This theorem is the AK is the nuts both preflop and postflop theorom.

Of course, you all know that a theorem is, and that my comrads is, "An idea accepted or proposed as a demonstrable truth often as a part of a general theory." (reference: webster).

Here is some evidence that I have gathered to support the aforementioned theorem. I suspect that you will find it quite compelling.

Case 1: In this hand, a loose and aggressive villain tries to put the moves on me with what I suspected was a low pocket pair (which it was infact). Little does he know, AK is the nuts preflop, and I refuse to fold the nuts. Villain has very little misclick-equity vs a seasoned mouse veteran such as myself.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ Hero (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

UTG ($600)
MP ($2096.53)
Button ($959.09)
SB ($1015.22)
Hero ($662)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $3.
1 fold, MP raises to $22, Button calls $22, 1 fold, Hero raises to $93, MP folds, Button raises to $176, Hero calls $563 (All-In), Button calls $486.

Flop: ($1349) 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: ($1349) 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($1349) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $1349

Results in white below: 
Hero has Ks As (one pair, aces).
Button has Kd Kh (one pair, kings).
Outcome: Hero wins $1334. Button wins $15. 

Case 2: The following hand is a demonstration of how sometimes it can be both profitable and fun to play deceptively and/or trickily with the nuts (I anticipated he would go allin, because I am that damn good). After the hand villain complained about a suckout. I then informed him that I was a favourite both preflop and postflop, and there isnt really anything else to it.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

CO ($2937.33)
Button ($476)
SB ($3864.26)
BB ($1942.19)
UTG ($2842.09)
Hero ($1000)

Preflop: Hero is MP with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $5.
1 fold, Hero raises to $40, 3 folds, BB calls $30.

Flop: ($85) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
BB bets $75, Hero raises to $150, BB calls $1827.19 (All-In), Hero calls $810 (All-In).

Turn: ($2947.19) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($2947.19) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players, 2 all-in)

Final Pot: $2947.19

Results in white below: 
BB has 9c 9h (three of a kind, nines).
Hero has Kh Ad (flush, ace high).
Outcome: Hero wins $2005. BB wins $942.19. 

Case 3: Here I decided to check the nuts for deception. Little did villain know, he was drawing dead like a zombie on every street.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Button ($512.30)
SB ($488.97)
BB ($353.60)
Hero ($591)
MP ($238.47)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $3.
Hero raises to $24, 1 fold, Button raises to $82, 2 folds, Hero raises to $225, Button calls $143.

Flop: ($459) A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.

Turn: ($459) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero calls $366 (All-In), Button calls $287.30 (All-In).

River: ($1112.30) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players, 2 all-in)

Final Pot: $1112.30

Results in white below: 
Hero has Kc Ac (one pair, aces).
Button has Qh Qc (one pair, queens).
Outcome: Hero wins $1112.30. 

CASE 4.... BONUS CASE: I probably shouldnt post this hand, since it gives away a lot of valuable information about the current poker metagame. I'm sure after this hand, it will become very clear how dominant AK really is.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Button ($669.05)
SB ($666.95)
BB ($733.65)
UTG ($797.74)
MP ($494)
Hero ($671.10)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $3.
2 folds, Hero raises to $22, 1 fold, SB (poster) raises to $62, 1 fold, Hero calls $43.

Flop: ($136) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB checks, Hero calls $606.10 (All-In), SB calls $601.95 (All-In).

Turn: ($1344.05) 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($1344.05) J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players, 2 all-in)

Final Pot: $1344.05

Results in white below: 
SB has Qc Ac (one pair, aces).
Hero has Ad Ks (one pair, aces).
Outcome: Hero wins $1344.05.