Re: I suck with sidepots
Don't think about the sidepot as a separate thing from the main pot. If somebody has a set on this board, they're getting great odds to win over $400 total (both the main and the side) if they can get the board to pair. You have the nuts for both pots-- no reason to not get it in.
Really, the only thing the empty sidepot does is take semibluffing and pure bluffs out of your arsenal as you'll still have to show down the best hand to win. In that vein, checking the flop is fine because you can't win it right there. Betting wouldn't be horrible, either as you might get a smallish pair to fold and be in pretty decent shape against the all-in player (who you might be ahead of or even freerolling is he has a different AK or some other unpaired big cards). Once the turn gives you the nuts, you want to play it fast and get the money in.
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