$55: Continuation bets worth it at lvl1 or 2?

[AA suited]

15/30 blinds, no reads, everyone has ~1k stacks

I'm in mp with ako. there's 1 limper. i raise to 100. button calls, blinds fold, limper calls.

pot= 345

flop = 2 8 T (2 tone)

checked to me. I would usually bet 1/2 pot (175 chips) here as a continuation bet. then check/fold to river if i dont improve.

i'm betting 175 to win 345. if i win, my stack will be 1245.

but if i fold after my flop bet, i'm down to 725 chips.

1) Would you bet out here?

2) Are continuation bets worth it at lvl1 and lvl2?

3) In general, are continuation bets worth it? Or is it better to play weak/tight?

[Bonafone]

I have just moved up to the $55 recently, about 500 tournaments. I feel that when you raise with AK here and get it down to 1 opponent to the flop you must fire away at least once, depending on the board of the course.

1) I bet out here for 2 reasons. One, its very possible you have the best hand, and checking will give away the pot on the turn to good opponents. Secondly, against most of the hands that will call you on your continuation bet, pocket pairs and occasionally AT, JT and 9T, you will have 6 outs going to the turn where you can then make another decision on what to do.

2) I would say against 2 or more oppenents that continuation bets are never worth it, but when you have position on a single opponent you must take adavantage. Generally, I'm only playing premium hands until about level 4 so this is not something I have to worry about.

3. I would say that you are fine to play weak tight for the first few levels and not cost you on the pots when you check, because it may still be checked down to the river where you have the best hand.