blonde poker forum

6 handed NLHE $1/$2 Cash.

You get dealt AKo UTG, and make it $8 to go.
Cut off reraises to $24.

You and cut off both reasonably solid players, and both played together a few times before so got some awareness of other player's game.

Folded round to you, what's your move?

Jak.

Both played together and have some awareness of eachothers game is the crucial line for me here. If i put him on a monster then i'd fold. Otherwise I'll flatcall (most likely) and decide on the flop.

what are the stacks like?

The good old Anna Kournikova hand - looks good but tends not to win a lot.  I also struggle with this situation.  It is only ace high and a drawing hand.  To maximise its value you typically need to see all five cards.  If you feel like gambling shove and hope you are not against AA or KK.  If you call and miss it is likely your opponent will make a continuation bet which keeps the pressure on you.  It is a hand which has cost me a lot of money recently so I am gun shy on how to play it.  Will be interested to read the replies on this one.

Both stacks about 100BB.

OK, thanks. A flatcall from me and reasses on the flop.

Re pop it to $75 - try and take the pot there and then - oh and fold to a re raise.

I like to re raise an UTG raise from the cut off with a pp (even a small one) to take the advantage going into the flop for 2 main reasons :

1) If you have AK, and an ace flops I can STILL take the pot from a solid player
2) If you have a pp, you will now be looking for a set on the flop.

I like to re raise, not flat call - this lets ME take the advantage to the flop.

Ok, taking this a step further, you are in the cut off, and solid player UTG, both 100BB.
You get dealt KK.

UTG raises to $8, you reraise to $24 , folded round to UTG who repops it to $78.
What do you do now?

Jak.

push

Ship it in - if he has aces - so be it, If he has AK and catches an ace, so be it

Yeah I know it sounds like a scenario with only one answer, but I came across this earlier and it made me think.

When the UTG guy reraises, I had a gut instinct (solid player, instant action etc...) that he had aces.

Thought about it afterwards, and decided that he would definitely reraise with AA and KK, probably QQ, but wasn't sure about AK (hence the original question).

Whether he reraises with AK is relatively important, as without it, pushing against a player whose range is AA - QQ is -EV.
If he would make the same move with AK (plus any other hands), then moving in is then very profitable.

My calculations may be a bit dodgy (back of a fag packet) and am quite happy if someone wants to do something a bit more structured and prove me wrong.

Jak.

call see a flop, although i like to limp raise utg with ak, looks like you have a stronger hand then.

You pass AK when its 125 to call into a 275 pot?

What hands do u expect him to re raise you with?????????????

You should play to see the flop if it is only 125 to go. Your AK may hit a straight draw or flop the nut straight and criple AA and KK. You can always muck afterwards if it is not comfortable.

I would put that player on AA or KK.

So 125 to call to win 275     so 2.2 to 1 on our money

We hold AK o/s vs AA or KK - we would win 6% vs AA and 30% vs KK

A loosing play in the long run

Ok cool i was putting the range at AA-QQ and sometimes AK.

After reraising to 75 and him re-reraising all in to 200, his hand is virtually face up here, so it should be an obvious pass ... but we all know that in reality on line we still probably call more often than we should in these spots. I do anyway , but then I am a complete station in these kind of situations. :(

Tbh I probably only call the £24 though.

Fold, without hesitation. At the very best, a race. Even that is -EV. What if A or K comes on the flop? Nice time to find out he hit trips.
I just don't think this is how to make money in cash, especially against a tight player, but I don't like playing AK here against this big raise from anyone.
If they were a total drunk lunatic then I might go on a gamble, you can sometimes guess Ax with reasonable success.
In a tourney, slightly different situation. Cash, easy pass.

And if you're not folding, you push, no way you call to see a flop. He knows you don't have AA, you would have pushed, he knows you think he may have AA KK, otherwise he probably would have flat called. No AK on the flop, he can pull you around by the nose. No no no no no. Fold.

I know this particular situation is referring to a short-handed game, but I presume many opinions on how to play the hand wouldn't alter too much from a full-handed game. Virtually all my cash game experience is from playing full-handed and this is how I would act on one of those tables. Admittedly I'm not experienced enough at 6-handed tables to confidently say whether I think it would also be the optimum play there.



In the long-term, you are -EV if you choose to stay in the hand. A large raise like this is usually AA/KK and so if your hand does improve on the flop, you'll typically pick up a relatively small pot or, more often, lose a shit load.

Only if you know your opponent to be a complete loose muppet should you consider calling here, and I'd often still fold without position on him.

Ask yourself how you'd play AK (or KK) in a tournament. If your answer is the same to how you'd play it at the cash table then you are most likely playing it wrong [at the cash table.] AK (or KK) is not a hand you should be prepared to go bust with pre-flop at a deep-stacked cash table, and AK is not a hand you want to be calling a large re-raise with pre-flop especially OOP. At least with KK, or any pair, you can hope to hit a set and you pretty much now where you are.

A good cash player doesn't need to put himself into too many "gambling" situations. You just need to play with patience and position. Cash tables can be very profitable for experienced cash players simply because many, often good, tournament players can't adjust to the significantly different styles of play.

Absolutely spot on

Good post, apart from this bit. 'You just need to play with patience and position and beer. Beer is crucial.