AK and big pots

[JJNJustin]

Frequently in a low limit game I find myself three betting AK in an attempt to thin the field. I know that my AK is huge compared to most other player's raising standards in my game, and since flat calling the raise will result in more stragglers behind me I usually end up 3-betting if I'm going to play the hand at all.

However, this often ends up in a capped pot with 5 or 6 players, the pot now with 24 sb. Very often I miss the flop and continue with the hand, considering the pot odds.
Often, I get to the river holding AK high and am faced with a bet from one of the original raisers.

Given the size of the pot and the desparate hope that the other player is betting a worse hand, I usually call the river bet, especially if no-one else does.

Much more often than not I see a hand like JJ, QQ, KK, or AA than a hand like AQ. More aggressive imaginative players may even make a value bet with a small pocket pair, making me feel especially stupid. After the hand is over I feel like an idiot for playing the hand, having lost many bets.

Losing a pot like this almost always leads me to play the hand more passively pre-flop the next time around (i.e. just calling a raise) and just check fold or if I dont flop or hit an Ace or king on the turn.

The second line leads to less bets lost, and lets me get away from the hand if the flop comes bad. The first line of play very often gets me in trouble. It opens up the pot to be capped and this usually ties me to the hand to the river card, unless the action is fierce on the flop. Calling the cap pre-flop and then folding on the flop seems to me to always be a mistake. How can you fold AK when you just put four small bets in the pot?

This being said, I hate to take a passive stance with a hand like AK, yet the more I play the hand, the more I think this is the correct play. Losing the maximum amount of bets everytime AK misses the board seems to me a terrible line. Playing the hand passively seems weak tight, but defensively much better. However, problems can arise from this line. Allowing small pocket pairs and hands like KQ to get to the flop can result in you making a payoff hand, even if you DO manage to hit.
What are your thoughts?

-J