question about AK betting...

[NoflopsHomer]

AK gains most of it's power later on. I don't think there's anything wrong with playing it fairly passively early in a competition.

[Gryff]

You have a 40% chance of hitting the flop with AK, and thats just the ace/king, you can also pickup straight/flush draws which add a few more percent.
Just raise your 3-5bb with it ( more if limpers ), if it hits bet it, if it misses fold - until you're more experienced.

[bolt pp]

You have a 40% chance of hitting the flop with AK, and thats just the ace/king, you can also pickup straight/flush draws which add a few more percent.
Just raise your 3-5bb with it ( more if limpers ), if it hits bet it, if it misses fold - until you're more experienced.

to pair one of your hole cards on the flop is 40%?

I think its nearer 33%, even money through to the river.

[totalise]

its (44/50)*(43/49)*(42/48), subtract that from 1 and you get 0.3242857 or 32.42857% which is the odds of flopping at *least* a pair with AK

its broken down like this ( i copied and pasted this breakdown from a website coz I couldn't be bothered to work it out manually)

flopping  one pair by pairing a hole card 26.939%
flopping  two pair by pairing a hole card AND pairing on the board 2.02%
flopping  two pair by pairing EACH of your hole cards 2.02%
flopping  trips by flopping two cards to one hole card 1.347%
flopping  a full house, trips of one hole card and pairing the other 0.092%
flopping  four of a kind, three cards to one of your hole cards 0.01%

add these up and you get the same 32.428% in the calc above

it doesn't include flopping a straight or a flush.. odds of which are about 0.84% for the flush (if its suited obv) and less then that for the straight.. so bout 33.5% total to improve with AK on the flop

[MrSpeed]

Quick question on AK (suited or not).

Playing cash games i find one of the problems i have is playing AK from the SB or BB in a multi-limped pot. Generally i try to raise to get out the chaff. However, at the limits i play at this generally doesn't work and it turns into a pot sweetner. Thus, i have just build a large pot out of position with an unmade hand.

This is great when an A or K smacks the flop. As noted tho, this happens on 1 in 3 or something like that. Apologies if i'm off with the math.

As it is regarded as 1 of the best starting hands i don't want to lose equity by not raising.

Any tips on playing AK from the blinds in cash games would be appreciated.

Ta, Sorry for the rabble.

Gram

[Graham C]

I assume you mean low limit cash games?  I have the same problem and ended up getting beaten by some Jack 6 suited caller or something alike. 

My only advise is to not raise the pot preflop and see what the flop brings if you are losing to limpers.  If it's only a caller or two then I'd stick in a raise but if several have called before me, I'd just follow suit and call.

[Bongo]

How big do you normally raise MrSpeed?

[MrSpeed]

Generally depends how many limpers but usually pot sized bet. Have a habit of using the pot button in these situations then rounding off to sensible number.

Not the most thought out strategy, i kn ow but....

Ok, it just happened for real there. 1 limper (i play 6max), i raise to pot = 4x BB. Both the BB and limper call. Lead out with continuation bet on 9 high flop. Get 2 callers and give up and fold on the turn to raise and reraise. I tend to lead out about 30% of the time depending on number of callers and texture of the flop. Showdown sees that limper had A9os and BB had Q9os.

I understand that against players who play with these hands then i shall make money long term but i want to fix this leak.

Gram

[Royal Flush]

There is nothing wrong with building a pot with AK then passing in a cash game, you can always reload!

Just think if it had come A hi in that hand you win a nice pot of mr A9