i believe if you overly simplify poker, or if you are talking limit then AK isnt going to win as much as people would think. However played properly AK is a huge money maker. Obviously if you are limping into a pot with a bunch of other players you arent going to win that much. But played properly preflop you should be getting into pots with one or two, three max other players. If you have built a proper table image, and are making decent reads you should consistently win more than you lose with this hand. In ring games this is one of the reasons I love to always bet the same amount preflop, trying to get a hold on how much will clear most of the table, but keep one or two players in, but also make them weary that I might have a really strong hand or a small pair, or AQ or AK. After the flop when I hit I should be able to take down a lot of pots, but also when I dont hit after flop I take down alot of the pots when I sense weakness as well. The only way I lose overall with AK is if I am stubborn and make loose calls to the river I will stay in a hand I probably shouldnt only against a player that I know is full of crap the majority of the time.
