[Phil Van Sexton]

I bet 50 on the flop. You aren't going to get paid off unless someone has an Ace with this flop. Assuming someone has an Ace, I prefer to bet out and represent a weak Ace or Queen myself. Anyone with an Ace will certainly call, and ideally raise.

If you check the flop and nobody has an Ace, it might be checked around and hands like KJ and JT get a free card.

Anyway, after betting the flop, if I'm raised, I just call. Remember, you are representing a weak Ace, so re-raising all-in is totally out of line. When the 2nd Ace hits the turn, I'd make 1/2 pot size bet into the raiser as if I have an Ace, but I don't think he does. Of course, he probably does, and will hopefully raise allin.

Let's say the 2 villians just called my bet on the flop. Now the turn is another Ace. I'd probably make a 1/2 pot size bet here into the 2 opponents. That would be about 100 (pot=220). Again, this is how some people would play a weak Ace or even a Queen. Hopefully, one of them puts all their chips in.

If they just call, the pot is 520 on the river. I'd bet 400 and see what happens (unless the board pairs, dammit).

I just don't like the idea of always checking or checking raising with monster hands. If you check/call or it's checked around, the pot stays small. You want to build the pot so that your opponents are pot committed by the river. Betting out has the added benefit of pricing out long-shot draws.

Check raising is also not ideal. This shows great strength and raises a red flag with many players. Check raising all-in takes away all of your opponent's perceived fold equity. (Of course, they have no fold equity, but they don't know that.) You want to encourage them to raise all-in, rather than force them to call an all-in.

Maybe it's an artifact of limit play, but people love to slowplay big hands by checking the flop and then check-raising on the turn. A big checkraise into a small pot is a sure way to lose a fish that you should have hooked. A min-checkraise is a huge red flag as well.

Remember, the only way to win a big pot is if your opponent has a good hand. Don't be afraid to bet. If they have a good hand, they aren't going to fold. If the don't, they'll fold, big deal. They weren't going to pay you off anyway.