Playing Ak Out Of Position, A Full Tilt Poker Article By Jon 'pearljammed' Turner |
  |
 Nov 24 2008, 09:08 AM
Post
#1
|
|
 Member Posts: 14 Joined: 4-November 08  |
 Ace-King may be one of the strongest starting hands in poker, but you’ve got to play it right in each position to make it pay – especially in the early stages of a tournament. Being in early position adds another challenge to the situation. But if you’re betting consistently and keeping an eye on your opponents, you should be able to take more than a few pots when you’re holding Big Slick.To start, let’s look at the early stages of tournament play. Suppose I have 3,000 chips, the blinds are 20/40, and I’m under the gun with AK. I’ll raise to 120 and assume that there are a couple of callers. Regardless of my position, this is a good situation. With just two callers, I’ve likely got the best hand. Let’s say the flop comes A- or K-x-x. I’ve got to be careful not to overplay my hand. If I start out check-raising here it will be obvious that I’ve connected with the flop and I’ll likely drive out some of the weaker hands that I can probably get action from if I just check-call. A better move here, however, is to avoid slow playing this hand at all and to lead out at the pot with a continuation bet like I would at any other time. This not only helps to build the pot, but it also prevents my opponents from catching a free card that could somehow cost me more later on. If I do get action from an opponent after I lead out, I’ll probably check on the turn. By doing this, I can control the pot size and induce my opponent to bluff into me with a weaker hand. If my opponent checks behind me, I can value bet on the river and try to induce a call if he’s holding a pocket pair like Js or Ts and he thinks his two-pair may be ahead. If my opponent is holding a weaker Ace, checking the turn and value betting the river is also a good way to keep them in the hand and to extract an extra call at the end of the hand. If my opponent leads out and bets after I check the turn with my AK, I’ll usually just call his bet and head to the river. Again, check-raising here isn’t a good play because it’s likely to drive a weaker hand out of the pot or cost me more chips if I’m facing a stronger hand. If I lead out after the flop and get raised by my opponent, I’ll usually just flat call and see the turn. I’ll seldom re-raise here because all that will do is drive weaker hands than mine that still might put money in the pot. One situation where I will re-raise, however, is when I’ve got an opponent who’s consistently overplayed his hands – especially when he’s holding an Ace. If I’m facing an opponent like this, I may re-raise all-in to induce a call when he’s way behind. Assuming I’ve just flat-called a re-raise on the flop, I’ll check the turn just like I did in the earlier example. If my opponent checks behind me, I’ll value bet my AK on the river and hope for a call. If my opponent bets out after I check the turn, then I’ve got a tough decision. If he’s firing a second bet, I can be pretty sure he’s holding a strong hand like a set and that he has a good idea about what I’m holding. This is especially true if I’m up against an experienced opponent. I may lay down my AK here in order to save my chips for a better spot or I may call depending on the size of the bet and any history I have with this opponent. If I call and he bets strong again on the river, I’ll almost always fold as I have to assume that he’d very rarely bet here with a worse kicker or as a third bluff. One situation where I won’t check the turn is if the flop comes K-x-x with two suited cards on the board. In this spot, I’m going to lead out if the flush card doesn’t hit on the turn in order to protect my hand from the potential flush coming on the river. If my opponent has a set or a hand that already has me beat, he’s probably going to re-raise to protect his hand as well. This complicates things even more, and I’m going to have to rely on my read of him at that point to determine what I should do. If I really think he has a hand or he’s proven to be a solid player, I’ll probably fold and look for a better spot. AK is a very powerful hand, but it can also be dangerous – especially when you’re playing it from early position. By continuation betting after the flop, you can get a pretty good idea of how strong or weak your opponents may be, and plot your next moves accordingly. Depending on whether your opponent calls or raises, checking the turn can either set you up to pick up some extra chips by value betting the river, or save you some precious chips if you’re forced to lay down to a bigger a hand. Either way, you’re retaining control of the hand and giving yourself the best chance to make it to the money. Check out Full Tilt Poker today. |
 |
 
|
|
Oct 13 2009, 02:18 AM
Post
#3
|
|
|
Newbie Posts: 5 Joined: 13-October 09 |
Have you ever complained why life is so dull and boring? Does the sky always seem gray to you? Are your efforts always in vain? Well, friend, cheer up and remain smile. Remember that attitude determines everything.
wow power leveling Every day when you go to school, do you ever notice how green the grass is or how beautiful the dew on the grass looks? And isn’t it just like a piece of diamond on the green crown of nature? Do you ever notice how colorful the flowers are? They are shaking in the gentle wind. Aren’t they like a group of pretty butterflies waving their wings? Do you ever notice the voice of the lovely birds? Isn’t it like a beautiful song they sing for you? wow gold In fact, what it matters is not that the world is short of colors, but that we are short of hearts with which we can find the beauty. Dear friend, observe the world with your warm heart and positive attitude. You’ll find that the whole world smiles to you. rolex One day it is fine. Just before you want to go out, it suddenly starts to rain. Maybe you would feel very sad and start casting spells over the sky. But, dear friend, why don’t you sit down and listen to the free concert that the nature offers you? “ding dong , ding dong....” The melody (旋律) of the rain sounds like a couple holding their wedding in a church. And with the timely rain, crops in the fields will grow better and better and farmers will hug a good harvest. It is clear again after the rain and a bright rainbow now is hanging over in the sky with bright colors. So change your attitude and the world will present another face. rolex When you meet with storms in life and it hurts you deeply, what should you do? Will you lose heart or do nothing but complain? Friend, don’t deal with it like that. Whatever you do, there are always two possible results: success or failure. rolex Although everyone wants to succeed in what he tries to do, sometimes failure can’t be avoided. When faced with failure, we must stand up, draw a useful lesson from it and try our best to fulfill what we are determined to do. As a popular saying goes, “Failure teaches success”. In my opinion, what really counts is not the failure itself but the proper attitude we should take after it. Failure is not terrible. The terrible thing is that we are frightened of it and give in. So hold a proper attitude towards failure, and you’ll find that failure is indeed a very precious gift. rolex Attitude determines everything. So life is not hard and failure, not terrible either. Let’s smile to whatever we meet and the whole world will smile to us. rolex |
|
|
|
|
Nov 11 2009, 06:12 AM
Post
#4
|
|
|
Member Posts: 10 Joined: 11-November 09 |
It was the night before Christmas, and all through the evening I reminisced, fondly reliving past Christmases spent with my family. As a second year nursing student, just nineteen, this was to be the first time I wouldn’t be home on Christmas. Although I knew I would someday be working on Christmas, I never expected to feel this lonely.
Secluded in my room, I yearned for the mouth-watering aromas of mom’s freshly baked cookies, hot chocolate and love. The absence of the usual giggling, slamming doors and ringing telephones made the dormitory seem cold and empty. The unappetizing smell of disinfectant replaced my visions of cookies and cocoa. world of warcraft gold, Standing in front of the mirror, I conversed with my reflection. “You wanted to be a nurse didn’t you? Well, you’re almost a nurse. Now is your chance to find out what Christmas spirit really means.” Determined to make the best of it, I turned in early. “I’ll be home for Christmas. You can count on me...” My faithful clock-radio announced reveille as I slowly dragged myself out of a toasty-warm bed. I trudged across the snow-filled street and grabbed a quick breakfast in the cafeteria before reporting for duty on the medical-surgical unit. World of warcraft Power Leveling, As I prepared to take vital signs on my first patient, I was startled by a robust voice that came from behind. “Merry Christmas to you. Want anything from the cafeteria? I’m headed that way Missy.” As I took the stethoscope out of my ears and turned around, from the dimly lit room I could see a gigantic, roly-poly elderly gentleman with long, curly hair, all decked out in a bright red, plaid shirt tucked haphazardly into baggy red trousers. The trousers appeared to be held up by only two, wide, fire-engine-red suspenders that had long since outlived their elasticity. This Santa Claus facsimile was standing in the doorway waiting patiently for an answer to his query. The only thing missing was the beard. As I looked toward the bright hallway lights from the darkened room, I thought for a moment that I was dreaming. “No thanks,” I responded. “I just came on duty. I’ll grab something at lunch.” cd keys, Before disappearing down the hall he added, “Name’s George. Just let me know what I can do for you, Missy. I’ll be right back.” As I cared for my patients, George was right alongside. I watched him spread holiday cheer as he became a guest to the patients who had no visitors that day. When trays arrived he knew who needed assistance and who needed to be fed. He read letters and cards to those whose eyes could no longer see the letters on a printed page. George’s powerful body and tender hands were always ready to help hold, turn, pull-up or lift a patient. He was a “gopher” who made countless trips to the supply room for the “needs of the moment.” George also knew when to call for help. While reading a letter to Mr. Jenkins, George noticed that the patient suddenly started to “look funny” and instantly ran to the nurse’s station to summon aid. Thanks to George’s swift action, we managed to reverse the effects of an impending diabetic coma. wow power level, Jovial George clearly enjoyed helping others while he spread cheer and told jokes -- the same jokes, over and over again, all day long, one patient at a time. We all enjoyed his presence that Christmas day. When I finally took my lunch break, I was surprised to find the cafeteria elaborately decorated for the season. I sat down next to one of the staff nurses from the unit. During lunch with Andrea, I had the chance to ask a burning question. “Who is this George fellow? And why is he here on Christmas Day?” “About ten years ago, George’s wife became seriously ill. He spent almost every waking moment by her side. Those two lovebirds were so devoted to one another. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.” Andrea stopped for a few moments, sipping her coffee in silence, before continuing. World of Warcraft power leveling, “George started to visit other patients while his wife was sleeping or having treatments. He was here so much that he seemed to take naturally to helping out wherever he could.” My natural curiosity made me ask, “Does he have any family?” A serious look came over Andrea’s face as she continued. “They never had children, and as far as I know, there are no relatives. But you see, George watched his wife suffer for a very long time. He shared every second of her pain and anguish. On Christmas Eve night, after I prepared his wife forleep, they prayed together. During the prayer, George promised his wife that if God would take away her misery that night, by taking her ‘home,’ he would spend the rest of his life as a Christmas volunteer.” Andrea and I finished our lunch in silence. |
|
|
|
|
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:
| Lo-Fi Version | SEO by MinervaSEO © Icelabz.net | Time is now: 9th March 2010 - 05:11 PM |