KQ early position

[ajrenni]

I think the check-call/check-raise line is too fancy.

Hero shouldn't be worried about extracting additional bets and keeping everyone around - he should be worried about winning the hand. A king or ace on the turn almost certainly gives one of the opponents a redraw, and it is
even possible that Button has cold-called the PFR with a suited Ace-rag and has 5 clean outs.

If Hero bets the flop and MP raises, he will probably get MP heads up, which will increase his equity even if he is still behind.

If Hero bets the flop and both opponents call, that is all right too, since he is probably the favorite and therefore has an equity edge. One or both opponents may be getting the odds to call, but a check-raise wasn't going to protect the hand anyway.

Obviously one or both opponents folding increases Hero's equity even more, and if an opponent who has the odds to call does in fact fold, Hero's bet has forced him to make a mistake, so that is a benefit for Hero.

Check-raising the flop seems a little better than waiting for the turn, but I would rather take a shot at knocking out Button and don't want to risk giving a free card, particularly an Ace.