[Shillx]

The big key to this hand is that the pot is small. As the pot gets bigger, you have to fire raises in on earlier streets. So if the pot were 5 ways for 3 SB to the flop and got HU by the turn (i.e. villian bets-3 folds-you call), you would much rather get the raise in on the turn with top pair. Even if it gives your hand away (you would very rarely semibluff raise this turn), don't [censored] around in a 10 BB pot. You would much rather him fire drawing thin in a 2-3 BB pot then have him fold that same hand. Seeing him fold a hand that is drawing thin isn't nearly as bad in a big pot.

Well the AK ties in with the 98s since you have to play both hands the same way. If you raise the flop with AK and raise the turn with 98s, the villian can exploit you very easily. Not that he will notice, but this isn't the type of player you should strive to be. You should want to put people to tough decisions all the time, but you also want to make plays that help you as well. So while raising the turn with AK and 98s makes you tough to play against, it is probably a little better to raise the river against typical players (it doesn't make you tougher though).

If the guy folds 77 to your semi-bluff turn raise, then he will also fold it when he is drawing to just two outs. So while it is great when he folds to the semi-bluff, there is a downside that you can't just overlook. The types of hands that you should be looking to fold are...

- Stuff like 77 or low pairs on board (never assume Kx is folding)
- Better flush draws
- Hands he is taking stabs with but still beat 9-high

A lot of hands that you are looking to fold either aren't folding before the river or are folding directly after you raise. This is why the river bluff raise is such a good move here. If he has a flush draw (or any good draw), you aren't going to fold him with a turn raise so that is out of the question. If he is taking a stab with QJ or something, then you are better off waiting since he is folding right when you raise and you make more by letting him bet again on the end. You are correct that it makes it tougher for him to play small pairs to a turn raise, but IMO it isn't enough to cover the downsides of the turn raise.

Yes, on the two-tone board you are sometimes though not always missing out on 1BB on the river if you are facing a bluff, but it's too predictable to always wait for the river to raise.

How is this being predictable? You are calling with good hands, good draws (don't always call with a good draw*) and weaker stuff. Calling the flop and turn does everything but give your hand away.

* - You would raise the flop if you had a very good hand so you would also raise the hand with a good draw at times to keep the villian honest.