Is It Ever Correct to Call Off a Stack With AK in Early Stages?

[zeka10]

I’ve seen a lot of discussion on whether or not A♠️K♣️ is a hand worth risking your tournament life for in the early stages of an MTT. Some argue that since it’s not a made hand, it’s not worth calling off deep-stacked, while others say it’s too strong to fold in many cases.





What’s your approach in the early game when facing an all-in with AK? Do you always call, or does it depend on the opponent and tournament type? Looking for some deeper insights into when AK is truly a “tournament life” hand.

 

[Tero]

Going all-in pre-flop with AK and with 100+ bbs is not a smart move in the early days. If your opponent is wild and has already lost most of his chips, then sure.
But when your stack gets shallower AK becomes better option to make drastic moves.

 

[mssmotilda]

I’ve seen a lot of discussion on whether or not A♠️K♣️ is a hand worth risking your tournament life for in the early stages of an MTT. Some argue that since it’s not a made hand, it’s not worth calling off deep-stacked, while others say it’s too strong to fold in many cases.





What’s your approach in the early game when facing an all-in with AK? Do you always call, or does it depend on the opponent and tournament type? Looking for some deeper insights into when AK is truly a “tournament life” han
Of course, you shouldn't do this in the early stages, but this rule doesn't work in freerolls.

 

[pentazepam]

It depends on reads, stack depths, and the type of MTT.

 

[Rost]

I’ve seen a lot of discussion on whether or not A♠️K♣️ is a hand worth risking your tournament life for in the early stages of an MTT. Some argue that since it’s not a made hand, it’s not worth calling off deep-stacked, while others say it’s too strong to fold in many cases.





What’s your approach in the early game when facing an all-in with AK? Do you always call, or does it depend on the opponent and tournament type? Looking for some deeper insights into when AK is truly a “tournament life” hand.

I think in most cases I will make a call. The hand is too strong to fold, it's true. Especially considering that now, in tournaments even with a buy-in of $109, there are a lot of players who can go all-in with any small pair, or a hand like AQ or AJ.

 

[SPANKYSN]

I’ve seen a lot of discussion on whether or not A♠️K♣️ is a hand worth risking your tournament life for in the early stages of an MTT. Some argue that since it’s not a made hand, it’s not worth calling off deep-stacked, while others say it’s too strong to fold in many cases.





What’s your approach in the early game when facing an all-in with AK? Do you always call, or does it depend on the opponent and tournament type? Looking for some deeper insights into when AK is truly a “tournament life” hand.

It would depend on several factors: high, medium or low buyins, the type of tournament and whether play is live or online. I'm always more careful at live tournaments because that means I'm usually on vacation, and I have travelled to get to the poker room. Online low buyins and freerolls are a different case...I would go all in with AK in the early stages every time.