The Power of Ace King

[Johnny Hughes]

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Big Slick, Ace, King, A,K. A,K offsuit is a better starting hand than AQ suited or KQ suited regardless of what some other poker writers have said. This is obvious because you don't want to get in there with K,Q suited or A,Q suited against A,K offsuit. Hold 'em is kicker poker and you cannot outkick Big Slick. You turn a pair one third of the time. It is top pair and it cannot be outkicked. More money is lost on Ace and a rag than any other hand. It is being lost to the dominate hand A,K. A,K is a better hand and a more playable hand at no limit than pairs below a pair of tens. They put the brakes on with too many overcards. Big Slick can only make one straight, never on the ignorant end. A,K gets a lot of free cards. It is not a good semi-bluffing hand unless any two cards above a nine come.

I've seen gamblers sitting on a motel room bet running two nines against A,K hot and cold over and over. This is not the point. We now have the wonderful odds calculator found here on the CardPlayer.com web site.
I have run A,K against all the other possible hands on a raise list. It jumps out at you. Big Slick is the boss.

You will catch A,K offsuit far more often than Aces or Kings or the large suited connectors. You have to play them like a fine violin. They play best head up against most hands. They play best with two or three in the pot. In limit with five seeing the turn, Big Slick just shakes his head sadly. He has lost lots of his edge.

Here's a play you can validate on Card Player's odds calculator. I call it the uppercut play and using the odds calculator, you can see why you only make it with three hands: Aces, Kings and the far more common Big Slick, A,K offsuit. I watch a no limit game while I am waiting to get in. If the game has frequent raises, nearly every pot, then I buy in with this uppercut play in mind. If they are bringing it in for fifty, then you make what might be looking like a semi-short buy in of say $600. In the middle positions, you smooth call the blinds with Aces, Kings, or A,K. When it catches a raise, you move it on to the center just like last winter. You put a pair on a hard call and have pot odds if he does. Again, using the odds calculator, you are in no trouble unless you run into Kings and you are live or Aces where you are a little bit alive. Here is what you want to happen with this play when you have Big Slick. You want mid pairs and small pairs to dog it which they probably will. If A,Q or any unpaired hand gets to thinking they are fading a small pair, you really have them.

This is not a limit play. This may or may not fit the late parts of a tourney but is too risky for the early stage. In no limit, there are several advantages to making a strong first impression. I dearly enjoy moving all in on strangers and announcing, "I'm not smart enough for two bets."

You just have to agree about my long term friend, Big Slick. He is never on second button. He is never on the ignorant end of a straight. And more importantly than all of that..... You just can't outkick Big Slick.

Johnny Hughes, Ph.D

[FreeZey]

I agree, although comically I was knocked out of a tourney on the first hand with big slick last night

I was heads up after the flop was dealt.

Flop: A75 (rainbow)

I put the other player on an ace and after calling his all-in he did indeed have AJs

River J

Such is life, such is poker

[Top Pair Ace Kicker]

I read a good post in another forum that people call A-K: Anna Kournikova, because although it looks pretty it very rarely wins

[Terminator]

I'm with you on that one Top Pair, pretty damn hot ain't she? Of course, A-K is the daddy, it is to be feared and respected by all, and we love it!!!

[cuyber]

I read a good post in another forum that people call A-K: Anna Kournikova, because although it looks pretty it very rarely wins

I have read and seen this too, i think it is quite widely known as anna ......

[PokerWoody]

I read a good post in another forum that people call A-K: Anna Kournikova, because although it looks pretty it very rarely wins

I thought that was KQ?

Anyway, AK is a group 1 hand and i'm always happy to see it. Comparing AK to Anna Kournikova is giving her far too much respect IMO!

I think AK changes in value as you move up in limits. In the lower limits you frequently see players calling raises with weak aces then calling down when they catch an Ace. At these levels AK is a monster and even AQ and AJ go right up in value. At the higer limits this doesn't really happen so you have to be a much better post flop player and know when to drop your top pair top kicker.

[IndigoUK]

I read a good post in another forum that people call A-K: Anna Kournikova, because although it looks pretty it very rarely wins

When I saw it in a Magazine (pokerplayer issue1) it was KQ which is fitting for the hand,but the initials dont line up nearly aswell
Got to agree though AK pre flop is a monster,however miss the flop(which you most likely will) and your be running without the ball again.You need to have heart or balls to play it well.
If the hand didn't excist though what excuse would anyone have for calling pocket Jacks with 33 other than 'I thought you were holding AK'?
I love it and I want its children(would that be JJ?)

Cheers Dave

[Top Pair Ace Kicker]

Apparently Norman Chad said it at the WSOP 2005. It's the new name for A-K. If you are really interested just google "norman chad anna kournikova"