Hero holds AK, flops an Ace heads up, then folds to a reraise.

[partygirluk]

Blinds are 25/50. Just moved to new table so no reads. Hero has 1975 chips, Villain 1655.

UTG open raises to 150. Hero calls with AKo

2 to the flop (375 pot)

AQT rainbow

UTG bets 200, Hero raises to 650, Villain pushes, Hero folds.

My thinking. Call preflop as any decent raise is for 1/4 of my chips and I don't want to commit that many early on. Also, I have position on the raiser allowing me to win the pot if he has a similar hand. I have no trouble getting away from the flop if I miss it, with the pot kept small.

Flop is OK. I hit my Ace, but he open raised UTG and could have AQ or even AT, KJ. TT and QQ can not be ruled out either. Still, he could have JJ, KK, KQ etc. and decide to fold. I didn't think AK would push at that flop. So I put in a raise, but when he pushed I figured I must be beat or tied at the very best, so folded.

I just feel this hand was played suboptimally. It was not very "satisfying". Please tell me how you would have played this differently. Also, please PLEASE tell me WHY. Just saying "raise pre flop" or "Push the flop" will not help me become a better player. Please provide some logic.

TIA

[ZBTHorton]

I like the way you played it. The only hands you are ahead of are AJ or Ax. Unless the player is a total moron. Good lay down.

[partygirluk]

He showed AK so my fold was bad.

[Allinlife]

being result oriented is bad

[slickpoppa]

That was a good fold regardless of the results, There was just too much that could have beaten you. I don't like you're intial raise though. I think you should have used your position and waited to see what he does on the turn. Sometimes a call is more intimidating than a raise.

[ZootMurph]

Early in a tournament, I don't like risking alot of chips with a dangerous flop as you had.

In this case, I would have just called the flop bet of 200, as he could clearly have MANY hands that have you beat. Without a read, you can't be sure. BUT, he may also be thinking the same thing. You can get a MUCH better read on the bettor on the flop, and the bettor will then be a bit more fearful that you are slowplaying KJ, AQ, or AT... You'll be able to tell when the bet does not get bigger on the turn... that's when you can push allin and let him sweat.

If the turn improves your hand, then you can decide what to do from there... otherwise, I'd consider folding to a large bet on the turn. A similar or smaller sized bet on the turn (~200), I'd consider reraising all in against. The allin can also suggest you were playing an Ace and you just hit your kicker on the turn... A bigger bet of 400 or more I'd fold to. Between 200-400 I'd have to evaluate based on feel with no reads.

Anyway, a bet of 200 into a pot of 375 is usually a bet of fear rather than strength, so the best thing to do is to push that fear by just calling... Put yourself in that situation... You have AK UTG, get a flop of AQT, you bet half the pot, and get called. What do you put an unknown on? Many things. If a blank falls on the turn, how do you continue?

Finally, consider how you'd play KJ in that situation... Would you raise his 200 bet on the flop? I wouldn't. I've got the nuts, and without a flush draw, I'd hope to gain more chips on the turn before pushing. So, he could conceivably put you on KJ if you just call the flop. It also allows you to get away from the hand cheaper in the early part of the tourney.