AK vs big raise vs limpers

Hey ronekinky!

Even against a nit i'm 3betting here. I'm just not 100% sure whats the valueline. jamming or 3bet caling. Probably they won't to much difference!

Greets,
Tiltberger

Short answer is no, you don't want to be playing for ~30BB with AK

AK is a big club but best used to beat a fold out of opponents, not stack off with.

A lot of value in AK is with the FE you generate with the raise, not actual PE when you call - esp in a MTT.

I think you can find a fold there when you're RR'd, particularly given the size of his initial R. Cash game, you're play was likely fine - I've not done the math tho.

You're giving him to much credit for that raise, you have 11 hands on him and this early it doesn't mean that much, so I would say AQ+,TT+ is a little bit too narrow, he could be isolating with something like 99+,AJs+,AJo+,KQs (6,64%), assuming he calls your 3bet shove with JJ+,AQs+,AKo (3,32%) that gives you 50% fold equity so if you shove for the remaining 2425 chips the move will be +9bb's ev wise.
I don't really see the reason to 3bet as you're commited (but I guess it's to fold if one of the limpers came over the top +CO?)
I would gladly shove, AQ I wouldn't.

That's the point, a shove is fine, but its calling with AK that gets you into trouble - you've lost half your hand strength, fold equity.

Hey rcon! I don't really get what you're writing. Ak is one of the strongest hands + we have no reads on co… Normally we're ahead of his range so its just the question how can we accumulate most chips -> against some players shove is better (regs) against weaker players like mp1 who openlimps and probably wants to see a flop i like your 3bet a lot!

Greets,
Tiltberger

AK is still an unconnected hand and behind any pair. Your best use of AK is to beat an opponent into a fold and maximize that fold equity.

Exactly what part of his range are we in front of? AT-AQ, thats hardly the majority of it. Can you poker stove it? if not, post what you think villains range is and I'll post the results.

Whilst hero here has some chips behind, it is less than 2BB so its safe to equate this with their "tournament life".

Your reasoning holds for a cash game where we can reload, but AKs value as a calling hand is degraded in a MTT.

we should be def. slightly ahead of his range if he raises something like kq+ a10s, ajo+ 99 like that. And I already said i like the 3bet or shove because I don't want a 3 or 4way pot with so much deadmoney!

Greets,
Tiltberger

The question was however do we need to go with AK in this particular spot.

Raising with AK is obviously all good, the question the OP asked was if we needed to call down the shove (which was also essentially an all in for us).

I'm making the point a fold is the best course of action here, unless we want a 58/42 flip for our tournament life

99+,ATs+,KQs,ATo+,KQo - 42%
AKo - 58%

I'd also argue their range is stronger.

Shoving earlier and giving villain a chance to fold out lesser holdings would have been an acceptable course of action too, but likely would have required more data than available.

58% + foldequity is a dreamspot in mtts!
Still its a jam even if his range is slightly stronger

Greets,
Tiltberger

Entirely correct, but that is not applicable for this hand - the hero in this hand has the option to call or fold, push is no longer an option. We can only generate FE when they have the option to fold.

We're trying to help OP determine if he was correct to call with AK in this situation. You make a great case for jamming, but that is not what is being considered.

Calling with <60% whilst still reasonably deep is not winning poker in my mind, but would love to have this idea challenged?

Originally posted by rcon101
Entirely correct, but that is not applicable for this hand - the hero in this hand has the option to call or fold, push is no longer an option. We can only generate FE when they have the option to fold.

We're trying to help OP determine if he was correct to call with AK in this situation. You make a great case for jamming, but that is not what is being considered.

Calling with <60% whilst still reasonably deep is not winning poker in my mind, but would love to have this idea challenged?

I think the main point here is that after the 3bet (that is standard, especially IP) you are completly committed, you have 12BB left and I think a fold here with AK it's gonna be always wrong, you have already 9BB in the pot and the reward is too big to fold imo.
If, for absurd, I could see his cards here I even call with 40% equity agaist him (ATo vs KQs I wouldn't be to much happy but I would call).
3bet shove here if you don't have reads on him is worse imo, I think in a 5€ mtt is much better to maximazed and therefore 3bet here to play the hand IP/give him a chance to 4bet push.
I don't think with AK you should push to make him fold but only to keep a 2 way pot.

Fact is… i'm ahead of his iso-raising range with ak -> now I try to find the option that let me win most chips longterm! So Im not folding ak here even if we don't have much fe or his range is a little bit tighter as we anticipated! its lowlimit tournaments. I need a good reason to fold ak and I don't see one.

Greets,
TIltberger