AQ and AK strategy

[luckystraights]

After an insightful talk with a friend, I've found that a lot of my uncertainty about how to play varies situations within a sit-n-go environment concern these two hands, AK and AQ. So I thought I'll start a thread about strategies for the hands, and the situations I'm having difficulties with, to hopefully get me on the right track, and with any lucky help others too.

Both of these hands have caused me problems recently in the early stages of the sit-n-go, for this discussion that is on a 9 handed regular blind interval table, with the blinds between 10/20 and 25/50.

I'm happy to open with a raise with both of these, in MP and LP, and with AK, I'll probably open with a raise in EP as well, with AQ I may limp in EP, and fold to a raise, or call if it was suited, depending on my views on the players raising range.

The problems start though, when someone has already opened the pot with a standard raise or 3-4xBB. It never used to cause me any problems, but I've been on a nose dive for so long now, I've totally forgotten how I used to handle this spot.

That problem is complicated, in many of my games, where someone will make a standard raise and get 3 or 4 callers. With kings or aces here, I'll obviously come other the top, and probably with queens too. With AQ, I'll probably drop it, as I could easily make my hand, and without re-raising A9  or even A6s could have me in trouble. With AK though, I'm torn, whats the standard play in this spot, I would like to re-raise, but being early in the tournament, is it better to avoid this spot, as re-raising a pot with 2 or 3 callers, would put a lot of my chips on the line early on. Recently I've called here, and got out if an ace falls, but I've realised flat calling can put me in hot watter, as it welcomes someone hitting an hidden two pair to bust me.

Its a dilemma for AK with me, as I'm only really scared of aces, kings will have me in big trouble two of course, but queens or lower is only a 6:5 favorite, so re-raising to increase the ways I can win the pot, and reduce the risk of running into a hidden two pair seem worth it, then again is building a bit pot with AK worth the risk so early?

I also see two viewpoints on the players / stakes issues too. In the $1 and maybe the $5 games for instance, you could drop it, and wait for a better moment, but one may not come, so if your playing the hand, you really need to play it very aggressively here, to avoid being busted by a rag flop, that someone hit when they shouldn't.

With a higher buy-in event, maybe the $10's, but I assume certainly in higher buy-in events, this situation will demand aggression also, as dropping AK or AQ so readily against skilled opponents is just two weak, and there range to call a re-raise with should be much more predictable, letting you know where you stand, ether way ahead, way behind, or 6:5 pre-flop, logical?

Whilst I await your responses, I'll be re-reading Doyle's play of the hands in Super System 2.

Many Thanks xxx

[Detroitdad]

to much to read, sorry.

I love A/K, there are numerous ways to play it. I'm probably aggressive with it about 75% of the time, of course everything depends on position, ect....

A/Q is treated just a hair better than A/J. I have lost a lot with it so I tend to be very careful.

B

[luckystraights]

to much to read, sorry.

I love A/K, there are numerous ways to play it. I'm probably aggressive with it about 75% of the time, of course everything depends on position, ect....

A/Q is treated just a hair better than A/J. I have lost a lot with it so I tend to be very careful.

B

yep, a lot up there... got lots of doubts and thoughts buzzing in my head, just trying to get beyond them.

AK used to be my favorite hand, but I've become a real wimp, and I think I'm too quick to justify weak play with this hand and others, because its so early in the sit-n-go.

[troysteelerfan]

A lot depends on position for those hands for me - I will probably open raise with AK from any spot - the key is not only how the hand gets played pre-flop but post flop as well ... you have to be able to lay it down if you miss the flop and there is a raise in front of you...I would also add that I would hardly ever (almost never) limp with AQ - but I don't limp many hands at all - I either raise or fold - why limp and let the BB or SB get to see the flop cheap.....something that also came to mind is an article that I read recently by Phil Gordon on "raising" pre-flop - I am work now and can't post the link but I will try and post it when I get home....

[luckystraights]

A lot depends on position for those hands for me - I will probably open raise with AK from any spot - the key is not only how the hand gets played pre-flop but post flop as well ... you have to be able to lay it down if you miss the flop and there is a raise in front of you...I would also add that I would hardly ever (almost never) limp with AQ - but I don't limp many hands at all - I either raise or fold - why limp and let the BB or SB get to see the flop cheap.....something that also came to mind is an article that I read recently by Phil Gordon on "raising" pre-flop - I am work now and can't post the link but I will try and post it when I get home....

I would usually open raise with AQ and AK, AK in any spot, same as yourself... but if theres a raise in front, AQs could call in LP, but is AK worth a re-raise, especially considering that the trash people raise with online is likely to be dominated by AK or more likely to spike a hidden two pair, and even if your behind, your more likely to be behind QQ or lower, where your only a 6:5 dog?

thanks for the input

[luckystraights]

I've just had an amazing sit-n-go experience, and it has totally renewed my views on the power of AK.

http://luckystraights.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/i-wonderful-tournament-and-big-praise-for-ak/

I'm not trying to wind up results orientated here because things fell my way when I had it, but more that I've gotten renewed respect for how powerful it can be in these games, where so many people are willing to play back at you with AQ or AJ, and with that comes a handy warning, don't get too comfortable with AQ.

[troysteelerfan]

Here is the article on pre-flop raising strategies - it may apply directly to AK or AQ but it does offer some tips on pre-flop raising - I have adopted it over the last several live games I have played and have found it useful- but obviously playin on-line is a different beast than live poker - to answer the question of is it worth a re-raise from late position with AK - for me that depends on things like 1. who am I reraising? 2. what are the chip stacks of who I am re-raising? 3. how likely is this person to fire at the flop (even if they may have missed) ...several things would factor into whether I am going to reraise with AK or just call...

this should be the link to ther article - I found it interesting....

http://www.fulltiltpoker.net/pro-tips-archive.php?player=Phil%20Gordon&tip=120

[luckystraights]

Thanks for the article, I'll bookmark it and give it a read when I get a free moment.

In the early stages especially I don't mind calling a raise with AK, its just when someone raises and then gets a few callers. I think I need to focus on the villain in these spots, its normally the guy who's raises a few hands in close order, and the callers are likely just calling to look him up, so I shouldn't fear re-raising here I think.

Thanks

[Eralis]

Be agressive. See how many are in the pot, see if someone has limped in, and try to remember if the initial raiser is a tight or loose player. With both AK/AQ I would probably raise. Raise about the pot. If they are OK players and have a marginal hand, they would throw it away. And if someone call, and you miss, chances are that they missed. If you are in a later possition than them, see what they do. If they check, bet about 2/3 size of the pot. I've won alot of sit and go's playing this exact same way. There is only 1/3 chance of acctualy flopping something, so if you miss, chances are that they missed to. If they bet, and you still didn't hit, do the right thing and fold, unless there is a powerful bluffing situation there.

This is my standard strategy on both live and online poker.

[hockeygoon]

I'm pretty aggressive with AK.  I'd rather steal the blinds and limped bets than take it to the flop usually, but if I get one caller, I'm ok with it.  If I think he has AA or KK or looks like he hit a straight or flush that I missed, I'm fine with laying it down.  A lot of times I play AQ aggressively late position too, especially if it's suited, if there were no or maybe one raiser in front of me, but I tend to limp with it a fair bit too.

A lot of it for me depends on the players I'm in the pot with when I have AQ.  If they're tight I'm more likely to try and steal their blinds from them or just call a mid-sized raise and fold if they play back hard at me hard.  If they're looser I'll play it harder figuring there's a good chance they have a small pocket pair I can scare them off of or maybe they're playing A-10 or A-rag.  There's one guy I see a lot around GR who plays just about any 2 cards if there are no raisers, so if it's just me and Jimmy in the hand I hammer him.  He might catch me sometimes, but I beat him more often than not.

I actually won a couple big pots with AQ tonight by playing it aggressively.  Other than wired jacks a couple hands, and a handful of other mid-sized pocket pairs, that was about as good as it got for me tonight.  Fortunately all the pots I won were decent sized and I only lost one big pot all night so I still more than doubled my buy-in.