The AK is a way crappier hand than people think it is.
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by Dawn Summers on Thursday, July 28th, 2005 at 8:55 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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I hate the AK, and I’ve done nothing but lose with it. I can count the times I’ve won with it one one hand, and it was almost always just winning blinds when everyone folds after a raise.
And how much I’ve lost… forget about it.
I’ve begun seriously thinking about tossing the hand, as if it were ten-six unsuited or trash like that.
A poker guy calls that hand “Walkin’ Home to Dallas,” because whenever he has it he loses all his money and has to walk all the way back home.
I’m trying to do that. I guess it’s an okay hand if you just walk away from a flop where you don’t hit, which is, like, always.
Aces and kings always come up when I’ve got qq or jj. But when I have AA, KK, or AK? F’n’ nothin’. Or a pair of ten flops or something.
I always have trouble walking away from AA, KK, and AK. I guess that’s really the problem. I have to keep telling myself “It’s a good hand BEFORE the flop, not necessarily after.”
If you do not raise with AK, you deserve to lose with it.
Seriously.
Obviously, position comes into play somewhat, but here’s a key concept to consider: AK does not play well in multi-way pots. That is why you want to raise preflop; you want only two or preferably one caller(s) to the flop.
Then, remember that even if you miss, your opponent is going to miss 2 out of 3 times as well (unless they hold a wired pair). A continuation bet on the flop, even if you don’t make a pair, may not necessarily be a bluff; you might still have the best hand.
However, if you get called on the flop, you need to slow down on the turn (and the whole time you should be narrowing the range of hands your opponent is holding).
AK is tricky, but not nearly as tricky as JJ. If you want to get better as a holdem player, you need to learn how to play AK. To succeed in tournaments, you need to win with AK AND beat when other players hold it.
but like ace said i don’t wanna be “walkin’ home to dallas” when i turn over my mighty ace high and someone else has me beat with a pair of twos (or more likely a big pocket pair.) On the flipside, I am pretty consistent in busting other people who are betting AK like they’ve got a hand.
AK in low-limit games gets me into more trouble than any other hole cards. Too many fishers holding bad bait yet willing to see what happens end up killing the mighty Slick.
July 29th, 2005 at 5:24 pm
I hate the AK, and I’ve done nothing but lose with it. I can count the times I’ve won with it one one hand, and it was almost always just winning blinds when everyone folds after a raise.
And how much I’ve lost… forget about it.
I’ve begun seriously thinking about tossing the hand, as if it were ten-six unsuited or trash like that.
A poker guy calls that hand “Walkin’ Home to Dallas,” because whenever he has it he loses all his money and has to walk all the way back home.
July 29th, 2005 at 6:01 pm
hahahahahahaha…i don’t even raise with it anymore. i just call and then dump if i don’t hit the ace or the king on the flop…stupid stupid hand.
July 29th, 2005 at 6:32 pm
I’m trying to do that. I guess it’s an okay hand if you just walk away from a flop where you don’t hit, which is, like, always.
Aces and kings always come up when I’ve got qq or jj. But when I have AA, KK, or AK? F’n’ nothin’. Or a pair of ten flops or something.
I always have trouble walking away from AA, KK, and AK. I guess that’s really the problem. I have to keep telling myself “It’s a good hand BEFORE the flop, not necessarily after.”
July 29th, 2005 at 10:51 pm
If you do not raise with AK, you deserve to lose with it.
Seriously.
Obviously, position comes into play somewhat, but here’s a key concept to consider: AK does not play well in multi-way pots. That is why you want to raise preflop; you want only two or preferably one caller(s) to the flop.
Then, remember that even if you miss, your opponent is going to miss 2 out of 3 times as well (unless they hold a wired pair). A continuation bet on the flop, even if you don’t make a pair, may not necessarily be a bluff; you might still have the best hand.
However, if you get called on the flop, you need to slow down on the turn (and the whole time you should be narrowing the range of hands your opponent is holding).
AK is tricky, but not nearly as tricky as JJ. If you want to get better as a holdem player, you need to learn how to play AK. To succeed in tournaments, you need to win with AK AND beat when other players hold it.
July 29th, 2005 at 11:01 pm
but like ace said i don’t wanna be “walkin’ home to dallas” when i turn over my mighty ace high and someone else has me beat with a pair of twos (or more likely a big pocket pair.) On the flipside, I am pretty consistent in busting other people who are betting AK like they’ve got a hand.
July 30th, 2005 at 5:24 am
I get that AK doesn’t play well in multiway pots, but it also doesn’t seem to play very well, for me at least, heads up.
I consistently raise with it, I raise after the flop misses, etc., and I just lose a crapload of money.
I’m sure mathematically it is a great hand. I’m just saying– small sample, sure, but so far the AK has sucked for me.
Suited AK’s too.
I think I’d rather have AQ or even JT.
July 30th, 2005 at 5:40 am
I think I’d rather have AQ or even JT.
That’s not very conservative.
August 3rd, 2005 at 4:57 pm
AK in low-limit games gets me into more trouble than any other hole cards. Too many fishers holding bad bait yet willing to see what happens end up killing the mighty Slick.