After writing about KK, I dedicate this post to AK, another great hand to have pre flop. AK is the best unpaired hand in Texas hold em and it is only small dog against all paired cards up to QQ, about 30% against KK and a big dog only vs AA but your oponent having AA is less possible since you got one A.

There is some irony in what I am about to write now. I am going to tell you that a big beginner failure is going all in with this hand and after that I will tell you about a very good all in strategy with this hand.

The beginners failure is that they get too small pots and lose too big pots with this hand. The profis play it more profitable because of their other skills - reading hands, using rope a dope strategies and so on.

AK is especially profitable to go all in with in the later stages of tournaments from late position. Your aim is to get the pot without having to fight, but when somebody calls you will still be a coin flip away from winning. The vast power of going all in with the hand is that you will make strong hands like 88 or 99 fold to you and you will take the pot. The move is especially good when the stacks are little compared to the blinds (which is often the case in late stages of tournaments)

If you dont go all in with this hand, you must try to isolate only one player to play vs you, the hand is not so strong vs multiple players especially when the flop is not good. One of the best flops for you would be something like A 33. With such a flop you must bet something like continuation bet and then just call the raise of your opponent in the cases that your opponent also has ace (which happens extremely often) be aware if on the turn and river comes something like QJ or J 10, this makes your hand more vulnarable because you now lose to AA, AQ, AJ, A10, i wouldnt pay extremely big bads in that situation.

Dont think you won the hand after you see your AK pre flop, it with hands like this (good hands) that good players lose most money.