How well does AK really play in no limit holdem?

Question

How often does AK really win? is there a way to find out those kind of averages.

and ill best answer for anyone that can let me know some of their insights as how to pump or dump AK based on the flop you receiver.

Thanks.

Answer 1

AK is a great hand to pick up.  Pre flop raise and Position are the key to this hand.  32% chance to win preflop.

AK is a drawing hand.  Do not put your tournament life at stake with it preflop.  This is a big mistake a lot of players make.  The only time I can see you making this move is when your stack is at 10 times the BB or lower and blinds are going up or coming around to you or blinds and antes are eating you up.

Early Position I make a raise 4 to 5 times the BB.  Mid position with no raises before me I make it 3 times the BB.  From late position I always make it 5 times the BB.

I am never sad about taking the pot down preflop by betting someone off.  I have thrown this hand away after a reraise preflop also.  

If you have callers going to the flop and 269 rainbow comes out or something like it- hit the pot with a pot sized bet.  Be a little more cautious if you see something like Q, 10,9.  You have a draw, but someone always plays that KJ suited.  

If you are suited and you hit on the flop for the flush - bet 1/2 the pot.  Again if you win here good for you, if you get a caller - even better.  With a caller I always either check the turn or a great move that confuses the c**p out of your opponent is a bet that is less that you made on the flop - otherwise showing weakness and often gets the opponent to push all in feeling you are weak.

If another suit hits the flop other than yours  and youre first to bet - put out a feeler bet or just check.  I really dont like feeler bets but you may take down the hand right there.

Answer 2

To me, AK is one of the most difficult opening hands to play.  It has such potential, but could cost you quite a bit.  The number of players at the table and the given moment in the tourney dictates how I play.  

In early tourney with relatively equal stacks with 8+ players at my table, I play pretty conservative if I'm in early position.  A 2x blind is enough or even just a call since I'm likely to toss this hand post flop if I see much aggression and I caught air.  Middle position is nothing more than a call.  Late position or button I will be a bit more aggressive unless there was some aggression in front of me, in which case I'm likely to call anywhere up to 5x bb.  

On the bubble or when blinds become valuable in their own right when play tends to tighten, I play AK aggressively, especially if six players.

If at any point I have less than 5 or 6x big blind in my stack and well behind chip average, this is an all in hand.

If you hit, some aggression is warranted, but beware if it's only a pair and someone comes over the top.  This is inevitably where I give up the most chips.  Flop comes down K75 rainbow and I get aggressive cause I got top pair with top kicker and someone goes way over the top.  Nearly every time I've called this, I get dusted by someone with pocket 7s.  I've also done this quite a bit to someone else.  If I hit the flush or straight or set, it's time to trap.  If I'm on a draw, I might try to take the pot after the flop so I can control some of the betting after the turn if I get called.  A reraise means fold.  If I catch my draw, it's slow play until the river.  If not, hopefully, our opponent will check the turn so I get one more card.  If not, fold.

Answer 3

There is a 32%  and A or K will hit on the flop.

Ak is a good starting hand make a good bet and hope they all fold and if yo dont hit AK on flop and someone bets to you its likely they have a small pp or hit the flop so you would wanna fold

big slick gets me into trouble all the time i lose on that hand 80% this is online of course and people call with anything online and if its a free roll forget it.

Answer 4

imho, ak sometimes runs hot, sometimes runs cold.

the key to playing AK is preflop betting. There's only two hands you want coming into the pot with you: a lower pair (not AA or KK) or Ax where X is not a king. AK allows you to bet high enough preflop to chase out the small suited connectors that will often bust AK. The flop you want to see is all suited in your suit, or A with 2 low cards and no obvious straights on the board.

if it helps, i often play AK like AJ. it helps me to be more cautious.

Answer 5

Funny you should ask this question because Learn to Win Holdem.com is currently committed to doing two newsletters on Ace-King.  The BEST strategy for playing Ace-King is by position.  Let me give you snippet from our most recent newsletter, Playing Ace-King in Early Position:

"Ace-King is a monstrous hand that most players wish for... ON THE OTHER HAND, it can in fact be a TERRIBLE hand if you do not know what you are doing. It can be terrible if...

You go "all in" (or bet a sizable stack of chips) before the flop, and the flop comes up rags. On the other hand,

You catch an Ace or King on the flop, bet a lot of chips, but then are run down by your opponent who gets a better hand.

Since even a pair of DEUCES can beat Ace-King by itself, you do not go all-in with Big Slick before the flop with numerous players in the game.

It is more often than not too risky. The reason is there are too many hands, which can beat you.

Going all-in with Ace-King pre-flop is the comparable to saying, " I'm not that certain I can win this tournament, so I'm HOPING to get LUCKY and gamble all my chips on the PROBABILITY that an Ace or King hits, or that my Ace high wins."

Obviously that is not ALWAYS the case (especially if you are short-stacked), but for the most part it is true.

The second circumstance -- being run down by another player even though you hit your Ace or King- can be SOMEWHAT annoying......"

Should you decide you want more information visit our Newsletter section.

Answer 6

The issue with AK isnt so much that it is not a good hand-- it most certainly is.

The issue with AK is that people pick the two up and think to themselves that it is much better than it is, and as a result, play recklessly and fall victim to any of a wide array of more powerful hands that can come up during the flop/turn/river

The important thing to remember about AK is that is is very much like Anna Kournikova (AK), looks great, but just doesn't play as well as you might think

...ironically enough anna kournikova is an excellent doubles player, but that's a different question altogether

anyways, best of luck with your hands