Protecting AK against dominated one gap hands

[Mike_25]

How do we best play our AK type hands against opponents who overplay things like AQ, AJ and even lower one-gap type hands? While AK remains a strong starting hand, players below our skill level often fail to properly weight their marginal holdings, calling downsizing bets with ace-high hands that are ultimately dominated. From experience I find the best approach is to size our initial bets targeting these specific opponents, building a larger pot with stronger follow up bets that allow us to crack these inferior holdings for maximum profit. Thoughts on this strategy? I'd love to hear how my seasoned peers handle this type of dynamic.

 

[CR7]

When facing opponents who overplay weaker one-gap hands like AQ and AJ, it is important to adjust our strategy accordingly. While AK remains a strong starting hand, it is important to recognize that our opponents may not understand the relative strength of their own holdings, leading to situations where we can extract more value.

One approach to consider is to place an emphasis on pre-flop raising, particularly in position. By raising pre-flop, we can isolate weaker players and build a pot that may allow us to win a large amount of chips when we hit our hand. Additionally, by raising pre-flop, we may be able to force our opponents to fold their weaker one-gap hands, which reduces the number of flops we have to navigate.

After we raise pre-flop, the next step is to consider how to proceed on various flop textures. Depending on the board, we may want to consider c-betting with our AK, particularly when it is unlikely that our opponents have hit a strong hand on the flop. By c-betting, we can continue to build the pot and potentially force our opponents to fold weaker holdings.

When facing opponents who consistently overplay weaker one-gap hands, we want to be careful not to get too aggressive, as they may be more inclined to call down with hands that they should fold. This means that it is often best to play cautiously on certain flops, particularly when the board is coordinated and offers the possibility of a straight or flush.

Overall, the strategy you outline of sizing your bets to target these specific opponents and building a larger pot with stronger follow-up bets is an effective approach. However, it is important to remain mindful of our opponents' tendencies and adjust our strategy accordingly in order to win maximum value from these types of players.