How to Play AK in SB?

waynec

Here is the story;
I have quite a few notes on mr very loose and happy to sit at a table with him as he will pay you off if you hit but he is a calling station and will call you to the river with any pair, I have notes about him calling every street with 22.
He also calls every raise and plays every pot, cant recall him folding pre even to 3+4bets. The notes also tell me he only ever raises with a PP from 22 - AA. Also XXX whom at this point I knew little about was playing short stacked and going all with any 2 and then reloading with £2 and off again.

What I want to know as I am out of position with my AK facing a station that will call my 3bet and a mainiac to get past what is my best option, should I flat call and see the flop as I am 99% sure I would be in a coin flip with mr very loose, 3bet or go all in which to be honest not very much keen on doing with AK in a ring game?

waynecure	Small blind		£0.05	£0.05	£21.35
Luzhniki	Big blind		£0.10	£0.15	£9.90
	Your hole cards	K A
mysteron55	Fold
XXX	Call		£0.10	£0.25	£1.59
rich1986	Fold
MR very loose	Raise		£1.00	£1.25	£6.15
waynecure	?

kudosss

My suggestion here would be for you to call if your comfortable enough playing this hand out of position after the flop and are willing to float a flop. If you aren't comfortable with this due to the way hes playing i think a shove is fine, hes already rr 10x pot and inflamed the pot, his stack size is only £6.15. I would personally call as i can catch or float the flop as hes bluffing alot, but a shove is fine if your not happy playing the flop out of position. The other reason to call is alot of hands that you might shove and he would fold you can get in real trouble, any other ace for example

kudosss

when i say bluffing alot i mean post flop

rob12345

becouse the mr loose will call wif wide range i would rasie and if he re rasie re re rasie him becouse he might fold maybe or call u wif rag ace or ever if he calls u wif a peir u still 50 50

SHANXTA

he's got ~£6 behind, why wouldn't you just want 2 3bet n get it in?

what if u flat n miss, u gonna b a hero n call him down wiv ace high?

waynec

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

he's got ~£6 behind, why wouldn't you just want 2 3bet n get it in? what if u flat n miss, u gonna b a hero n call him down wiv ace high?
Posted by SHANXTA

NO!!!! If I flat call I am prepared to muck the hand no point in flatting otherwise.

Batkin88

U really only have two options from where i see it. You are out of posistion he has already raised a ridiculous amount so u can put him on a pair at most,(going by ur notes) u will prob have to hit in the next 5 cards to win because of his pair but u have ace king suited so u  will only need to hit once. I would shove and put pressure on him, i certainly wouldnt call because if u miss he will raise whatever and your going to end up folding to what could be a terrible hand. Or u can fold and wait for a better posistion which is very tight but will payoff in long run unless someone else gets there first! I would shove that way all pressure is on him and you cant fold the best hand at any point. What did actually happen???

waynec

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

becouse the mr loose will call wif wide range i would rasie and if he re rasie re re rasie him becouse he might fold maybe or call u wif rag ace or ever if he calls u wif a peir u still 50 50
Posted by rob12345

This guy will never ever ever ever fold any PPs, and I very much doubt he will 4bet me just flat call.

If I miss the flop what then as I am sure he is ahead???

kudosss

Surely if your assuming hes firing any flop your giving him an oppurtunity to bluff? If you shove against a weak player only when you have AK. If your anticipating a small pair then your giving him a 50%+ chance to win aswell as all the pots hes stealing on you the other hands when you've said that he has been playing aggresive. If people say thats the only play i don't see how they can be +ev against a player playing like you have described. I think flatting has to be an option however i would probably raise but i think that being your only play is a losing method.

rob12345

n Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB? : This guy will never ever ever ever fold any PPs, and I very much doubt he will 4bet me just flat call. If I miss the flop what then as I am sure he is ahead???
Posted by waynecure

if u have ak in small blind u have to try to get as much money in pre flop becouse ak dose not play well on the flop out of position and the odds of have peir delt to u are 16/1 unlikey in the small blind get the money in or fold when he 3 bet dont call

rob12345

in Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB? : This guy will never ever ever ever fold any PPs, and I very much doubt he will 4bet me just flat call. If I miss the flop what then as I am sure he is ahead???
Posted by waynecure

if u have ak in small blind u have to try to get as much money in pre flop becouse ak dose not play well on the flop out of position and the odds of have peir delt to u are 16/1 unlikey in the small blind get the money in or fold when he 3 bet dont call

waynec

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

Surely if your assuming hes firing any flop your giving him an oppurtunity to bluff? If you shove against a weak player only when you have AK. If your anticipating a small pair then your giving him a 50%+ chance to win aswell as all the pots hes stealing on you the other hands when you've said that he has been playing aggresive. If people say thats the only play i don't see how they can be +ev against a player playing like you have described. I think flatting has to be an option however i would probably raise but i think that being your only play is a losing method.
Posted by kudosss

Not sure what you mean here are you saying flatting is a losing play or always raising???

kudosss

No i mean ONLY raising is a losing play in the long run. Using one example like you have i agree its correct if i had to make the decision once. However if your giving a guy like this the opportunity to be on the better side of a 50/50 surely if you think you can find better spots to get better equity in a pot you dont HAVE to shove just because the worst you will probably be is 50/50. Not playing for a flip is not necessarily weak poker it just means if you think you have a bigger edge than someone then you want the money to go in at the same rate or better of the edge you think you have.

I think a guy like this you can get to dump his stack to you, yes its true you won't always flop a pair but you could call and depending of bet sizing etc you might be more comfortable after the flop thinking you have a better than 50/50 chance of you catching him.

I want to point out i think a push is fine i just think people saying its the only way to play it +ev isn't entirely true.

waynec

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

No i mean ONLY raising is a losing play in the long run. Using one example like you have i agree its correct if i had to make the decision once. However if your giving a guy like this the opportunity to be on the better side of a 50/50 surely if you think you can find better spots to get better equity in a pot you dont HAVE to shove just because the worst you will probably be is 50/50. Not playing for a flip is not necessarily weak poker it just means if you think you have a bigger edge than someone then you want the money to go in at the same rate or better of the edge you think you have. I think a guy like this you can get to dump his stack to you, yes its true you won't always flop a pair but you could call and depending of bet sizing etc you might be more comfortable after the flop thinking you have a better than 50/50 chance of you catching him. I want to point out i think a push is fine i just think people saying its the only way to play it +ev isn't entirely true.
Posted by kudosss

Excuse my thickness I now understand what you mean and is in line with my own thinking.

SHANXTA

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

No i mean ONLY raising is a losing play in the long run. Using one example like you have i agree its correct if i had to make the decision once. However if your giving a guy like this the opportunity to be on the better side of a 50/50 surely if you think you can find better spots to get better equity in a pot you dont HAVE to shove just because the worst you will probably be is 50/50. Not playing for a flip is not necessarily weak poker it just means if you think you have a bigger edge than someone then you want the money to go in at the same rate or better of the edge you think you have. I think a guy like this you can get to dump his stack to you, yes its true you won't always flop a pair but you could call and depending of bet sizing etc you might be more comfortable after the flop thinking you have a better than 50/50 chance of you catching him. I want to point out i think a push is fine i just think people saying its the only way to play it +ev isn't entirely true.
Posted by kudosss

if his range is this wide with these stacks you cant flat oop, well u can, but don't

is his range is any ace, any 2 paint, or any pair do u know what are equity is with AKdd?

waynec

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB? : if his range is this wide with these stacks you cant flat oop, well u can, but don't is his range is any ace, any 2 paint, or any pair do u know what are equity is with AKdd?
Posted by SHANXTA

To an under pair 47% so making me a slight underdog.

My question is hence this post do I want to get involved in a large pot knowing I am a most likely an under dog, should I be gambling in this spot in a ring game, is it correct to gamble knowing the pot will end up big when I am not ahead??

I did reraise and as predicted he called, the flop was J33 not good for me I bet the flop putting him all in which he called and showed 99. I spiked a K on the river taking the pot down but felt was this more good luck than good play.

LOL_RAISE

if you shove pre you give him the chance to fold 22-66 which is huge for you.

SHANXTA

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB? : To an under pair 47% so making me a slight underdog. My question is hence this post do I want to get involved in a large pot knowing I am a most likely an under dog, should I be gambling in this spot in a ring game, is it correct to gamble knowing the pot will end up big when I am not ahead?? I did reraise and as predicted he called, the flop was J33 not good for me I bet the flop putting him all in which he called and showed 99. I spiked a K on the river taking the pot down but felt was this more good luck than good play.
Posted by waynecure

no, not ur odds vs a pair, ur odds vs his range he plays, i reckon prob ~65%, but u can work this out on pokerstove

plus as lol points out if u get him 2 fold 22-66 it wrks out even better

waynec

OK Thanks for the advise guys was just concerned about being over aggressive when the secret is selected aggression.

Batkin88

at the end of the day you have your own style of play and play how you feel comfortable, i think if you shove he will either fold or lose his chips either way he will simmerdown after and he wont want to raise or re raise to you again. It will put all pressure on him and take it from you, i like being in control so this is what i would do. However the other points are all just as good there just different plays. gl at ur tables

waynec

In Response to Re: How to Play AK in SB?:

at the end of the day you have your own style of play and play how you feel comfortable, i think if you shove he will either fold or lose his chips either way he will simmerdown after and he wont want to raise or re raise to you again. It will put all pressure on him and take it from you, i like being in control so this is what i would do. However the other points are all just as good there just different plays. gl at ur tables
Posted by Batkin88

Many thanks Batkin for your comments and have taken note of all the advise offered by everyone, GL at the table yourself... as long as Im not sat at it! :-)