AK in the blinds - mid stages

[nirvana]

Thanks for all the input chaps, nice to get views from people who think about the game a little more deeply than I tend to.

[MANTIS01]

3betting creates a pot equal to your remaining stack so it makes you look ridiculously strong. Also your oppo will rightly figure the rest is going in after the flop anyway if he calls. So he knows he's playing for stacks whatever he does now. I really don't think his playing range widens if you 3bet either, in fact it prob tightens. You really don't need premium to be shoving over a button raise here and if villain has a genuine raising hand pushing can easily induce a hero call from his bigger stack, especially short-handed. Pushing means the hand's easier for you to play and gives you the best chance of a full double up.

If this is a standard comp down your local your opponent will likely not think about any of the above if you standard 3 bet. He'll probably peel with J10 suited and stack off on any flop you hit. Prefer a three bet if you have QQ+ With AK just get it in pre

The fact you only 3bet here with the very cream of your range demonstrates just how strong the move looks. Also effects your range balancing. And even the most basic players grasp that calling the 3bet will put more chips in the middle than their oppo has left.

Thsi makes sense. Your move looks strong so only 3 bet the cream of your range?

If you don't think it makes sense why is it your strat?

[George2Loose]

3betting creates a pot equal to your remaining stack so it makes you look ridiculously strong. Also your oppo will rightly figure the rest is going in after the flop anyway if he calls. So he knows he's playing for stacks whatever he does now. I really don't think his playing range widens if you 3bet either, in fact it prob tightens. You really don't need premium to be shoving over a button raise here and if villain has a genuine raising hand pushing can easily induce a hero call from his bigger stack, especially short-handed. Pushing means the hand's easier for you to play and gives you the best chance of a full double up.

If this is a standard comp down your local your opponent will likely not think about any of the above if you standard 3 bet. He'll probably peel with J10 suited and stack off on any flop you hit. Prefer a three bet if you have QQ+ With AK just get it in pre

The fact you only 3bet here with the very cream of your range demonstrates just how strong the move looks. Also effects your range balancing. And even the most basic players grasp that calling the 3bet will put more chips in the middle than their oppo has left.

Thsi makes sense. Your move looks strong so only 3 bet the cream of your range?

If you don't think it makes sense why is it your strat?

I'm not agreeing with that three betting here looks super strong. You're saying it looks super strong so why wouldn't you 3 bet air here?

[MANTIS01]

Errrm you maintain 3betting doesn't look super strong but you only 3bet with super strong hands. The vast majority of people will have a thin 3betting range in this spot just like you do....but you think the move will look like you have a weak hand. That's what makes no sense. I would and have 3bet with air in this kind of spot for those reasons.

[NigDawG]

i'd shove and lol to myself about how many extra bb's he gave me than he needed to

[action man]

lol at whoever says flat pre and play "sneaky"
i dont get the concept of range balancing vs a live player we might play 15 times
in our lives.

agree that anyone who makes it 5500 at 600/1200 is exactly the type of player to peel your 3bet with JTs
Mantis, seems in your posts like you give the average mateyboy way too much credit for being observant and savvy.
You seem to play your opponents as if you were playing yourself, i.e u shove the river because he can't call because you wouldnt in his shoes. If that make sense.

[Cottonbud]

i'd shove and lol to myself about how many extra bb's he gave me than he needed to

[titaniumbean]

HE'S WEARING A BODY WARMER?!!?


Sick read.

[mondatoo]

lol at whoever says flat pre and play "sneaky"
i dont get the concept of range balancing vs a live player we might play 15 times
in our lives.

agree that anyone who makes it 5500 at 600/1200 is exactly the type of player to peel your 3bet with JTs
Mantis, seems in your posts like you give the average mateyboy way too much credit for being observant and savvy.
You seem to play your opponents as if you were playing yourself, i.e u shove the river because he can't call because you wouldnt in his shoes. If that make sense.

I didn't say do it,I said do that if you want to get funky but I'm pretty much always shoving.Why is that lol ?

My point was that I thought it was standard shove,As I said I didn't like to 3bet<<<<<<<<<Shoving as although I can see the merits of it I prefer to shove as we look light and at worse are racing and I'd assume this will be pretty much a shovefest final so we're happy to be racing here.

[MANTIS01]

lol at whoever says flat pre and play "sneaky"
i dont get the concept of range balancing vs a live player we might play 15 times
in our lives.

agree that anyone who makes it 5500 at 600/1200 is exactly the type of player to peel your 3bet with JTs
Mantis, seems in your posts like you give the average mateyboy way too much credit for being observant and savvy.
You seem to play your opponents as if you were playing yourself, i.e u shove the river because he can't call because you wouldnt in his shoes. If that make sense.

Wait, are you saying I'm a savvy player? No, I get what you mean but by contrast I think most of you guys give too little credit to the average mateyboy. I have played regular live poker for a number of years and I think the standard of a regular player is decent enough. I don't like basing a poker strat on the assumption that our oppo is shit just because they are playing live.

Also girls if you disagree with somebody on this board and you support your views with valid points that really isn't having an argument.

[NigDawG]

I have played regular live poker for a number of years and I think the standard of a regular player is decent enough

couldn't agree less

[George2Loose]

I have played regular live poker for a number of years and I think the standard of a regular player is decent enough

couldn't agree less

+1 gazillion

[mondatoo]

I have played regular live poker for a number of years and I think the standard of a regular player is decent enough

couldn't agree less

I normally have big gaps between playing live as It tilts me hard in general but it always shocks me how bad the standard is and no matter what level it's at.The 1k wsop event with people 13x it level 1 was pretty com.

So basically +1 from me to

[Steve Swift]

Great thread chaps, i learn so much from these.

Me, as  a Donk,  i shove, when does AK ever pay the bills, make use of its power pre gain the exta out and stick it in his eye let him make the decision, if he calls and i lose.... next game.  The addition to our stack if he folds seems to be nice and i would be happy with that.

I get no love from ak ( like us all i know)  and that is why in particular i like AK  HH.

My general play with ak though is stan r, stan c bet LD to aggro i guess that this is generaally correct ??


Steve