Party 3/6 AKs/AKo common situation

[sprmario]

Ok you have AKs or AKo and you have it in late position. You raise preflop and get 2 or 3 callers. The flop misses you... lets say Q63. It gets checked around to you, you bet and get one caller. The turn misses again. Lets say a J. You now have outs to a straight. The other player checks to you...

Now do you bet the turn? or check behind?

If you bet and are raised do you fold?

If you check behind and the river doesn't help you again, do you fold to the bet that almost always comes?

My standard move is checking behind and folding to the bet. If it's a known loose player I might call but against random players or known decent players I'll fold. I'm in for 1.5 BB only and got to see all 5 cards and still have A high... I don't usually like my chances there, but I sometimes see people hang onto their AK to the end and win w/ A high. Is it of any value to bet the turn and/or call the river?

[J.R.]

Here's some ideas that i think apply to the general situation you present:

Whether to bet or check as the pfr in position on the turn depends on a number of things (the SSH overcards chapter is good) such as the aggressiveness of your opponent(s) (will they bluff the river if you check the turn), their ability to call on the flop with no pair (is A high good), as well as the number of oppoents you have (more oppoents means more likely you are behind) the texture of the board (i.e. is the board rich in playing cards like or is it ragged like 9443) and the drawy texture of the board (how likely is it that they have a no pair draw), but an IMPORTANT concnept is bet with no outs, check with outs.

If you would have to call a check-raise, or more disasterously, have to fold to a check-raise when you had outs, especially nut outs, be more inclined to check, ala AK on the QJxx board, especially if the QJ (2 playing cards) were both on the flop as its more likely your are behind but want to see the river card.

But if you have no outs or few, such as red 99 or a Q /images/graemlins/spade.gifA /images/graemlins/spade.gif3 /images/graemlins/spade.gif7 /images/graemlins/club.gif board, be more inclined to bet because you can more safely fold to the check-raise (and the A and Q may be scary to your opponent).

Don't bet or check if you know you are behind or ahead, but if uncertain, lean towards betting without outs and checking with outs.

Also, another concept that may or may not overlap with the check with outs, bet without outs concept is make a read and go with it, as in if you check the turn and don't improve, fold to a river bet (unles you have a specific read that the other opponent can bluff). If you will want to call on the river, be inclined to bet the turn and check behind. (The bluff check-raise is far less common than the take a stab on the river after a turn check in a headsup pot, especially in 3-6 games).

With a marginal pair be more inclined to check the turn and call the river (especially if you fear a bluff or semi-bluff check-raise on the turn) than you would be with A high in LL games like 3-6. In more aggro games such as 5-10 short and 15-30 inducing a bluff with A high is much closer to correct startegy, although the specfic opponent's aggression is the best indicator if you have a reliable read.

I know this doesn't directly address your question but I hope these ideas are helpful.

[sprmario]

Thanks for the ideas to look at... I'm going to have to read this post several times to get everything you said.

I really really hate getting check raised on the turn (doesn't everyone?). Its one of the reasons I started checking behind in this situation especially when I did have draws to the straight in addition to the over cards.

[J.R.]

That's the big idea:

If you have to call the turn check-raise (or fold a hand that had outs), strongly consider checking. But if you have no outs, folding to a check-raise isn't hard or disasterous, so be more inclined to bet.