Just to get a feeling where people stand on this fairly elementary issue that have many differing opinions.

How do you play AK?
What situations vary your play with AK and most importantly, why?

I'm not asking how you think it should be played or how you that it should be played. This thread is about how you actually play it and what you think when you see it.

Way, way to general. Preflop, on the flop? Specific questions are better if you ask them.

Limit:

I always open raise or 3-bet from any position. If its 3 bets to me I'll probly cap or fold. Never call with it. If its 4 bets to me I'll muck it even sooted. If I flop an A or K i'll almost always bet and 3bet if i get raised. If it gets capped I generally check/call down or muck the turn player dependent.

"helmuth" is kind of getting where I want to go with it and bonch, it is very general because it's meant to be responded to situationally. What are the situations that shape the way that you play it or do you play like Aces as many people do and what flops, people, or position shape that way that you play this hand?

There is no perfect way to play this hand and there aren't many right ways to play in many situations. I constantly see people who play it too conservatively play it too aggressively later and vice versa. I'm wondering what people think they have, on a relative basis, when they look down and see AK.

Originally Posted by helmuthpoker201

middle position - facing a raise, i would just call because i want to play a multi way pot here.

Why? If you do flop an A or a K with 6 people in the pot how often is it the best hand? In NL at least I like to make a raise here and generally fold to a limp-reraise from UTG or UTG+1

So many people that think they know how to play poker cuz they watch WPT. You're in a terrible situation if you push here with 6 people. You will win the pot quite a few times, but when you do get called you will be drawing close to dead (set or betteR)