This article isn't so much about why you should love big slick, rather it's a primer on why this is one of the strongest hands in the game, and why you shouldn't take the bait other beginners throw out when they say "I hate big slick, it's so over rated".
AK, or better know in Texas Hold'em as "Big Slick", is not over rated. It is however, improperly played by many people! Big slick is a problem hand for many beginners for the following reasons:
-
They see big cards and they crap their pants, so they figure they have to play them.
-
They can't lay the hand down, even when the odds seem to be stacked against them.
-
They don't utilize the proper betting strategies required to make the most of the hand.
Reason number two is a real hard one for beginners to get over. They hear so much about "Big Slick" they figure they have to win if they just play the hand! Unfortunately that is just not the case. You need to play this hand with as much diligence and discipline as you would any other hand in the game. The reason this hand is often very powerful in low limit games is due to the high number of dimwits who play AX, which denotes any hand including and Ace and some off-suit card below ten. With big slick you have any other AX hand out kicked, meaning in a tie situation, your king will get you the victory. Might seem like a small difference, but over the long haul, that king kicker will make you tons of money.
So how do I play AK pre-flop?
You will want to play the hand aggressively, but no when to stop. If you pre-flop raise under the gun and get raised three times in a typical $2/$4 Hold'em game, you are probably beat. Lay the hand down. Now, if you are playing against a bunch of idiots and they don't know an Ace from a five, then by all means play, but most likely, you're up against one or two stronger hands. Here is another thing to consider when you have AK in early position and are re-raised a few times; what possibly could these guys be raising with? The answer is most likely high face cards, which means there are less of those in the deck to pair up with your Big Slick. Play the hand strong pre-flop, but don't be an idiot!
We recommend raising and re-raising from nearly any position in a loose or weak low limit game. If you are re-raised or there are multiple re-raises before you, that is when you need to strongly consider your opponents and their caliber of play. Three and four re-raises indicates a good possibility of AA or KK from one of the raisers, and you can safely lay down your hand pre-flop if you suspect this to be the situation. Raising is important with big slick because it can help eliminate questionable opponents and opponents in general. Big Slick is not a hand you want to take on the world with, you want to narrow your opponents down, and increase your chance to take the pot.
Initial thoughts upon being dealt Big Slick:
-
Raise pre-flop to eliminate opponents and increase your chances of taking the pot
-
Re-raise to further eliminate weak opponents
-
Three or four re-raises could be a strong indication of AA or KK, be careful.
-
Although strong, don't be afraid to lay the hand down. It has a time and a place.
Playing Big Slick at the flop and beyond
Many beginners screw up with big slick by not raising pre flop, but the costly mistakes come to those who just can't lay it down and see when they are beat after the flop, turn and river. With AK in hand, you obviously are looking to pair up on the flop, with either a single Ace or King. Flopping a straight draw is good too, but remember, if you played the hand correctly pre-flop, you may not have a lot of players in the pot to pay you off when you hit a straight.
You need to continue to be aggressive with big slick all the way to the end. Open bet and raise if you flop top pair. Watch for check raises and re-raises once you get to the turn, this could be real trouble for you. Crappy players usually don't check raise with just top pair, so unless your hand has improved you are probably beat. Also watch out for sleepers on paired boards. A lot of bad low limit players will lay in the weeds when they flop a set on a paired board. For example, you have AK, and two other opponents going into the flop which is A55. If a blank card comes on the turn and you are raised or check raised, be real careful, someone probably called your pre flop raises with crap and got lucky.
Although we wouldn't encourage getting real wild with AK, every now and then, you can utilize the check raise to your advantage. Here is a situation where a check raise might work:
-
You have AK off-suit in middle position.
-
You raise pre flop and are called by a week late position player, and both blinds
-
The flop comes K28
-
You bet, two players call and the small blind folds
-
The turn reveals and ace, for a board of K28A
-
You check, luring in a bet from the late position player and the small blind.
-
Now raise, and finish out playing the hand strong against probably a weaker AX
Check and raise is just one tactic you can use to vary your play from time to time when you get Big Slick. Most of the time all you need to do is play it wisely and aggressively, but from time to time, use other tactics to extract more money, or to mask your playing style.
|
Poker Strategy 
