AK in early position

[Hippy Dave]

10 seater cash game, early position, you pick up AK, what do you do?

[Jezza]

have nipped to the toilet for a piss, come back just as i timeout fold and cry when the flop comes JQ10r and the action kicks off

[Jezza]

lol serious answer

Shorthanded I usually raise. You did say full table tho. I would prob limp UTG. Around the back I might raise. IF i do limp UTG and a shorty with 20bb or less raises I prob put in a big reraise when it comes back to me. If a tough player with a lot of money raises I will just call it usually.

Jez

[Scottieboy08]

I do try the limp/re-raise with this sort of hand, especially against a donk or a short-stack (like Jez suggests). When you do this and miss, you need to know how to take the pot down against the oppo.

If they're passive, easy c-bet (and fold if they raise).
If they're an aggro b* (who may be liable to raise-bluff), then a check might be in order to see what they do. From this, you could check-raise their bluff, or call and fire on the turn (you can obv check-fold if you sense strength).

[Jezza]

I only limp RR with AK if the orig raiser is a short stack and has trapped other callers money in the pot. If a deep stacked player raises I will usually just call it, especially if im going tobe OOP for the rest of the hand.

Jez

[mrmuzeman]

Limp everytime

[Doc]

Raise almost every time. I expect it to be the favourite, but it is vulnerable, and OOP, so I want to make people pay to be involved. You need to make sure though if you do this, that it is just one of a number of hands that you (occasionally at least) play the same way - otherwise it becomes an easy read.

[Scottieboy08]

What's your range for limping UTG Jez/muze? Is it bigger than say UTG +1/+2 due to the 'fear factor' of the very early limp? Also, do you play AA/KK/QQ etc. to a limp/rr or do you just standard raise it?

What other hands would you play the same way then doc? Anything out of the ordinary?

[Doc]

Hi Scottie

I'd qualify by saying I play most of my NL in tournament format, although the parallels between early stage tournament play and cash game play are strong.
I'll usually play Aces-Jacks (and even occasionally smaller pairs) in this way, and occasionally A-Big suited or suited connectors from 76 to QJ. I'd vary the raise amount and raise frequency somewhat randomly, but largely based around the hand quality.

A key factor also is the play at the table. If it is very tight passive then I like small raises. If it is loose passive then I like bigger raises. If it is tight aggressive I'll also incline for the bigger raises, and if it is loose aggressive then I'm more likely to limp-reraise.

[christianu]

that it is just one of a number of hands that you (occasionally at least) play the same way - otherwise it becomes an easy read.

I pretty much play every hand the same, on 6 seater cash games and I dont think it makes a difference, if I play a certain hand a certain way and it works, ill keep playing it that way, nobody else really notices. Of course I dont play them 100% the same way every time, different players, different circumstances etc.. but I dont think you should raise and limp with AK an equal amount of times as surely one or the other works better for you.

All my play is 6 seater btw.

[mrmuzeman]

What's your range for limping UTG Jez/muze? Is it bigger than say UTG +1/+2 due to the 'fear factor' of the very early limp? Also, do you play AA/KK/QQ etc. to a limp/rr or do you just standard raise it?

If im UTG, then I limp with AKs, AKo, AQs, AJs and all pocket pairs JJ-22. I raise with AA-QQ everytime I never limp with it.

Jez would do much the same but also play all the proper suited connectors from there as well probably, all those from 54s-J10s id imagine. I personally dont bother with suited connectors from early though as I try to avoid drawing out of position. I think you have to be very good at playing drawing hands to make playing those hands a proper +EV situation. For me I reckon itd kind of be a break even type proposition so I avoid it.

[Scottieboy08]

Muze, I heard you had a thread on JJ (with limpers) in the SB from a while back? If this is true, can you bump it or post the main details of it please m8. Be much appreciated. My play has been to still raise here but I think you say differently.

[mrmuzeman]

Hmm I might have done I cant remember. It might have been Jez or Alien talking about it also.

Theres a link to a post I made about Jacks on the front page of the forum actually but its pretty basic stuff really im sure you know already, not sure it would tell you anything at all you wouldnt know already and its pretty generalised. Here it is anyway

http://www.thedailypunt.com/poker/articles/JJ.html

In the blinds I just dont see the point in raising just like when in early (unless you have a a bigger pair then its a must). Youre just going to get called once, twice, three times etc and an overcard A, K, Q will fall 2/3 of the time and what do you do? Make a continuation bet even though you are so likely to be behind? Check and just fold to a bet as youll be OOP on other streets with an underpair? Cant really be a great winning play in my eyes.

Youre just giving yourself tough decisions with marginal hands (and JJ is marginal post flop if you dont improve if you face any tough action youre usually beat). I dont think you will win hardly any big pots with JJ WITHOUT flopping a set so why not put as little money as possible in with it until you flop that set.

[Scottieboy08]

Yea, agreed. The reason I have still been raising around 50% is the make-up of the table ie. tight-passive, so I can take the blinds fairly easily or get it HU p/f. JJ is the cut-off though but I have been raising the bar to QQ on loose tables. Not overly keen on QQ here either.

[mrmuzeman]

If you are truly confident you can get it HU OR take the blinds then theres nothing wrong with raising there. Theres nothing 'wrong' with raising with JJ at all tbh, its just it creates a lot of difficult situations and all directly resulting from the fact that you raised it preflop. I just like to keep things as simple as I can if I can help it. Half the time or more you raise with JJ you will be faced with a tough decision on the flop I would say.

You HAVE to raise with QQ though even if you feel like you dont like it. It really does figure to be the best hand and importantly probably only about 1/3 of the time will there be an A or K on the flop so the majority of the time youll still be feeling comfortable with QQ post flop.