[jedi]

I want to revisit this post. I had a few hands, where I wound up having top pair, top kicker and got beat. Example, I raise with AK pre-flop and get called. I spike an A or a K on the flop and bet pot, get re-raised all in and decide to call. This is early in the tournament, so I should know that I'm beat, but I'm pretty stubborn about the whole thing and lose anyways. Usually I'm shown down a set or 2-pair.

Is betting the pot on the flop a mistake? Does it turn a small pot into a big pot? Is Top-pair, top-kicker a small pot hand? Survival strategies should also take precedence here, right?

I have the hardest time laying down TPTK at the lower buy-in SnGs, because I realize that people will be taking shots with less than what I have. Maybe I should just resign myself to the fact that occasionally I'll be laying down the better hand, because the times I'm beaten I'd be out, or extremely short stacked.