PAHWM: they say AK is often overplayed... (1 Viewer)

[JackJack]

I don't see many of these type posts anymore, so I thought I would do this for entertainment purposes. I'll try to let everyone have enough time to comment.

Setup: Local casino, playing $1/$2, max buy-in $200. The table was not playing crazy, pretty straight forward play. I did see a few questionable calls and rebuys. Since it was a casino taking a rake, no big stacks to speak of. There was just one "actiony" type player and was very talkative/jovial guy that everyone liked at the table. I had only been seated about 30 minutes and had only played a few hands. I had won a couple of small pots by showing the goods, so my image was probably a tight ABC player. Hero's and "actiony" Villians stack is around $240 each. Full table.

Hand: I get in the BB. The "actiony" player 2 to my left raised it to $12, and there were 2 callers, and I called. Flop is . Action is on me...

Prob needed to raise it to $60-75 in that scenario (3x + 1 for each prior caller, at a minimum)

 

[JackJack]

Some good points here. I agree that the standard pre-flop raise should have been around 50. The 12 raise was a standard opening at the table and thus I felt was weak. I didn’t want to induce folds and just collect the blinds, and as the thread title says, I didn’t want to “overplay” AK. I’ve seen too many times where AK raises big, someone calls with 9s and the flop doesn’t have a A or K.

On with the hand… Hero: in the BB. The "actiony" player 2 to my left raised it to $12, and there were 2 callers, and I called. Flop is .

Since I’m first to act in the BB, I figured I was WAAAAY ahead of everyone and didn’t want to show my strength yet, so I check, hoping Mr Actiony would bet. He didn’t disappoint. He bet $15. Okay, he disappointed me a little bit here, I was hoping something bigger. The other 2 callers immediately fold, and I pause then call the $15.

The turn is a .

Once those two fold and you are facing $15 bet then I would consider going to $45. Any more and he might think you have an ace, but as the big blind this bet can represent a 5, or a pocket pair.

 

[JackJack]

Let’s get to the spicy part!

I check again. Villain bets $30. I pause and then call $30. River is . The Nuts!

I pause, bet $50. Villain pauses, raises to $100. I pause a little longer this time, and go all-in. He goes deep into the tank….

At this point you have all your chips on the table with the nuts while giving a fantastic price to call. Hard to critique the way it worked out thus far.

 

[chippitydoodah]

I shit you not this JUST HAPPENED TO ME:

.50/1.00 Online
Hero in BB ($57 behind)
Villain in SB ($140 behind)

Hero has

UTG calls $1
Villain Raises to $3
Hero Raises to $7
UTG Folds
Villain Calls

Flop


Villain Checks
Hero Bets $14
Villain Goes All In
Hero Calls

Villain Has

Turn
River

Unfortunately I had been card dead since I started (about a half hour) which didn't help my decision to call the all in. I just can't believe this happened after reading the conclusion of the PAHWM

That's Poker

 

[dkersey]

Why do I see this playing out as a shove fest on the flop and then this:
Hero
Actiony
Player 3
Player 4 FOLDED

Trust me...if I were playing this hand online this is EXACTLY how it would play out!

Let's talk about this post, where you called the Villain's hole cards, 55 (just not the right player). This combo never occurred to me throughout the hand, so I was going to get it all in even without the K showing up. Thank goodness the K showed up or else I would have been felted.

 

[Legend5555]

Let’s get to the spicy part!

I check again. Villain bets $30. I pause and then call $30. River is . The Nuts!

I pause, bet $50. Villain pauses, raises to $100. I pause a little longer this time, and go all-in. He goes deep into the tank….

Your line is why I think you need to raise earlier in the hand. As it's been played, the villain has now gotten to bet tiny on 2 streets and you have a strong hand that at zero point in the hand has put in any extra money. You are essentially hoping he is totally bluffing, or under betting a hand good with to pay you off when you lead or check raise the river. That's not a good plan.

If you want to get paid by hands line 99-KK and make any sort of money, you need to raise earlier. Any big hand is going to get all the money in against you anyway. It doesn't matter when you raise. But 99-KK is often going to check behind turn, or if they play like this, fold river when you lead because it's basically impossible for you to be bluffing.

Additionally, both of you have somehow decided to bet as little a possible at every juncture when you have big hands. Seemingly not caring about trying to maximize the money you win. You could have taken control of the hand and jammed river for half pot, making it more difficult for your opponent to fold something like KK. And now when it seems like you opponent could possibly have the case Ace or an under full after he bet flop and Turn, you only bet $50 into nearly $140 when you only have $183 left. The case Ace might convince itself to just call, but it would call just about any size. All bluffs are doing to fold. And if he someone has JJ-KK, he might call something slightly bigger. Though he might often fold.

When your opponent can have either somerhing really strong or air, you should bet big. Especially if you don't think they will bluff when checked to. I see your line a lot from players in my games. And it's NEVER a bluff. And it's always better than one pair. You slowplayed when there were no cards that could let your opponent catch up. Then got to the river and thought "well, I can't let him check behind, so now I have to bet." But somehow on this dry board, you had a hand good enough to check call twice, then all of a sudden bet river. You've basically made it so you never get paid by the weaker parts of the villain's range. And made it such that if he had the case Ace, you might STILL not get all the money.