Re raising with AK pre flop:

I don't see it that often but I remember that in the past it was often encouraged and I think I saw it more often in the past.

I've been wondering the merits of it lately for a rock playing on a table full of rocks. Not super nits but 25-28 Vpip. Maybe two donks per table. The rocks are not necessarily good but their vpip is low.

Simples,you can get second best dominated hands like AQ, AJ, QK to continue and force mistakes postflop by re-raising.

Your still not in bad shape against middle to biggish pairs and you block pocket Aces and Kings. It's a premium hand and its profitable more often than not to build a big pot with big slick

Agreed 100%. I love 3 betting with AK. I am under the impression that it is a pretty standard move these days, at least in my game, especially in position. I consider it a value bet.

vs an EP raise from a very tight player, you can just call if you want to, you're not in bad shape flatting in that situation, especially with position. Or you could always 3 bet with it. Versus a very tight open range of JJ+/AK-AQ, you are still at 50% equity. That's only 4% of hands, most players open twice that from UTG.

Against all others, you have a bigtime card advantage. That includes loose EP raisers and just normal/average EP raisers and definitely MP, HJ and CO raisers, you are crushing their range so go ahead and 3 bet with position. Then you have a card advantage, position and the initiative.

In the blinds, vs. a steal raise from the CO and B you are crushing their range so pump it up, big and come out firing on the flop almost always. Same vs a MP raiser. Maybe slow down on the aggression vs an EP raiser when you are OOP.

Being the raiser also makes the hand easier to play. Most of the time it makes the hand heads up. Most of the time the caller checks to you. The pot is bigger so the cbet is big.

It is very hard to play OOP vs an aggressive opponent who 3 bet. Therefore, you should want to be the one who is in position with the initiative. Even if you don't hit the flop your cbet is likely to win the hand, and you'll have 2 overs to draw at. If your opponent is still with you on the turn and you don't have a made hand, it's probably time to slow down.

GL, Magnum

25-28 vpip is definitely not what I would consider a "rock" unless you guys did that whole "changing definitions without telling me thing." Especially at a fr table. You're well into lag territory there.

3! is a value-type move, for the reasons others mentioned... The bigger mistakes with AK is happening post flop when guys are calling off on 8d9dJx etc. Or open-jamming, lol. Very rarely is 3! pre a mistake.

^ what he said. you will make a bunch of mistakes with the AK flop, but 3 betting it preflop is pretty solid play vs most players.

It's just too good not to 3-bet.
If the nit has a range of AA-JJ,AKs-AQs,KQs,AKo-AQo you still have equity of 53% for AKs and 51% for AKo

The thing you really forget that makes it compelling is when they fold. And having the A and the K makes it more likely that they fold.

So let’s say that’s the nit’s continue range. For the sake of argument, let’s say he 4 bets exclusively KK+ and we can just fold (make our game tree easier). Calls all of those other hands.

And let’s say nit raises and folds to a 3 bet with ATs, AJs, AJo, KJs, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs, 77-TT. This is far from a nitty range IMO, but I think it’s the kind of range I’d expect a competent player to show up with up front.

WITHOUT CARD REMOVAL:
A range of 77+, ATs+, KTs+, QTs+, JTs, AJo+ is 48 + 16 + 12 + 8 + 4 + 36 = 124 combos.

Against 3 bets he
4 bets: 12 combos
Calls: 48 combos
Folds: 64 combos

WITH CARD REMOVAL
We reduce card combos to 99

Against 3 bets he
4 bets: 6 combos
Calls: 36 combos
Folds: 57 combos

So if we shut our eyes and 3 bet randomly (assuming opponent doesn’t know that), he will fold 64/124 ~ 51.6% of the time. But given what we hold, he will fold 57/99 ~ 57.6% of the time.

So not only do we still have good equity when called (in this case as a slight favorite) and position throughout the hand, but we generate more folds and can win the blinds + his open raise more often. And if someone opens to 3 bb, going from 51.6% to 57.6% chance to take 4.5 bb uncontested is great.


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AK is a good hand. You balance out your 3 bet value range by having a bluff range. That's how you deal with nits. Just get them to fold a lot more than they should be.

Thanks you 2 this is exactly what I was looking for.