How to play AK to maximize your winnings
At first glance, one of the best hands that can be received in a game of Texas Hold’Em poker is AK, since it opens up a wide range of possibilities. The expectations improve even more if both cards are of the same color.
However, it is important to know how to manage well the power that this hand implies , since from it it is also possible that you will not end your game session with less money than you expected or lose the option of qualifying for a freeroll poker tournament in the one that you had put certain hopes, for example
While on a theoretical level the AK hand will always win, or at least have a considerable advantage against almost all possible combinations, it is important to understand that this is a drawing hand , not a made hand. The secret is knowing how to play it correctly: in this way it will become one of the most powerful combinations that can be achieved in Holdem.
Within the world of poker there are countless stories of how someone lost everything with AK . From this, many dared to question the potential of the combination itself. This was so because some inexperienced considered that a large poker hand can lead to complications. However, it is nothing more than the product of bad decisions . Once you learn to wield the power that comes with it, your chances of hitting a winning hand will open up steadily.
To maximize profits and optimize your Ace – King strategy, you need to understand all the factors that come into play when deciding your next move. It’s know how to play: There isn’t a good player who doesn’t show decent profits with AK in a great showing of hands.
Once you perfect your game, you can maximize your chances of winning by playing Holdem at your favorite real money poker site . For this reason, in this note we bring you the best ways to play with these cards on the table and thus improve your chances in any poker hand.
Receive AK and know how to maximize its potential
Picking up the initial two cards and seeing an AK combination is often a blessing, as it allows us to appear strong from the very beginning of the hand. This is the best potential hand to get pre-flop in Texas Holdem, especially if both cards are of the same suit.
The great advantages that this hand gives us gives us the opportunity to play aggressively. First of all, because the chance of an Ace or King flopping when you have AK is close to 30% . Therefore, it can be even more powerful than a served pair, since at those odds they would be higher. You will also be ahead in relation to other powerful combinations like KQ, KJ, 10J, among others.
In any case, this hand demands to be played bravely from the start . The chances of winning pre-flop (by sheer aggression) combined with the chances of winning on the flop or simply outsmarting your opponent gives you all the power you need.
No fears from the flop
Therefore, you have to go for everything from the beginning. If you are the first to act, ask for a raise. If there is a raise in front of you, 3-bet, and if you see them 3-bet your raise, the best option is to go for a 4-bet. Regardless of whether AK was off-suited or suited, it’s a powerful hand pre-flop and you’ll be ahead of most opponents’ ranges . By boosting the action before the flop, it makes the hand easier to play later, as its ratio to the pot decreases.
The main reason to be aggressive from the start is the problem that this hand can be played passively . It is possible to play AK more conservatively and still make good profits, but it doesn’t always end up being the best decision.
In principle, one always starts as the favorite in terms of mathematical probabilities and, given that premise, poker invites us to be daring. Once the flop lands, conditions can change considerably, and our passivity could lead to players with smaller hands entering the game who are already in an advantageous position relative to us.
Therefore, staying determined could get potential threats out of the way and also lead to quick wins. Also, AK is the best option to play heads-up, against a smaller number of possible opponents. If you take the passive approach, all these points are gone and your hand loses most of its value .
Cautiously in the River
Now, it is important to know how to act while playing in a poker room in case the flop is not in your favor. And, in this sense, much depends on the number of players at the table . The more rivals we face in the final stretch, the more cautiously we should resolve, since a hand flop could quickly put us at a disadvantage.
To summarize, the important thing is to be aware that AK is the strongest single hand in Hold’Em and this invites us to be aggressive from the start. As a consequence, in a large percentage we will get a high pair or we will have the possibility of going in search of even more ambitious high combinations.
It’s important not to let multiple competitors in with low stakes, as a flop can quickly put you at a disadvantage to any of your opponents. Without a doubt, betting with conviction from the first minute is the best option.
