AK Misses
Do most people not realize that when you miss the flop with AK (big slick) and your opponent has made any pair, if you do not have another draw besides your over cards you are a 28% dog?
I always find it confusing the way people overvalue AK to such an extent, willing to put so much money on this purely speculative hand.
Mostly I like to play this hand the same way I play small pairs: hit or quit. I do not like to reraise, and often I don’t even like to call a raise. There’s just too much that can happen without you seeing. Hitting your A or K and having an opponent flop a set or two pair kills this hand more than any other.
I think what most beginner or intermediate players do not understand is that poker is a game defined by the flop. No matter what hand you have, it is basically meaningless until the flop comes. Overbetting preflop is a clear sign of novice play. You watch pros play, and they will most often let whatever raise opens be the raise they play for, unless they’re trying to make a play or legitimately have a big pair they don’t want to get scratched, or they think they can win it because no one else feels like gambling.
I think I’ve been losing the pass couple weeks not only because of my bad runs in situations where I am a huge favorite, but also because I’ve been playing with people who don’t really understand the game. Which makes it more of a crapshoot than a skill. And with my luck, I don’t need to be in any crapshoots.
Hrm.
Tags: big-slick, gambling, overvaluing-AKRelated Stories
POSTED IN: miscellaneous
1 opinion for AK Misses
Jereme
Dec 24, 2007 at 11:00 pm
I play A K like I play 4 3. It’s nothing more than a connector hand.
Too many people rely on this crappy starting hand. I really don’t understand why.
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