How many barrels do you fire into a pot with missed AK?

[DJ Sensei]

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Good thread, as this exact situation seems to be the one that is dwindling my stack constantly.

I NEED to start checking the turn in these types of situations. It really should be that you have a specific read on your opponent to fire another one, and that's hard to do here.

Continuation bets work sometimes I guess, but lately it seems as if they are killing me. But what I noticed lately is that if I have AA in that situation, I check the flop to induce a bet and I slowplay. Continuation bets I think are only effective if you play AK the same way on a flop of A-7-5 as you would a flop of 6-Q-T.

Or is this statement of mine incorrect? I have lost so many chips and dollars in cash games lately with A-K's that miss flops.

Brad

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One important feature of using continuation bets is that you should bet strong hands the same way. If you make a continuation bet on a missed hand (like the example above) and someone takes note of that, the next time you have AK, flop top pair, and make the same bet, they'll pay you off big time with top pair lower kicker, second pair, or they might even get cute and try and bluff you off of it.

Against thinking opponents, making most of your flop bets a similar size (when the pot was raised preflop) is a great way to keep them on the ropes, in cash games or tournaments.

On a side note, taking note of which opponents make continuation bets often is a great way to pick them off later.

[John W]

It's time to shut it down. Not another nickel.

[PancakeBoy]

I don't bet that flop at all against 2 opponents.

[lange101]

I think that always making a continuation bet is what makes a player hard to read. If I bet on the flops I hit, and not on the flops I missed... well, that is pretty clear cut. If I bet on the majority of flops that I raised preflop, then it would be difficult for an opponent to decide what I have because then all they know is that I raise regardless. Also, Sensei was correct in saying that you are likely to get paid off when youd o make a hand because your opponents might think that you are just making a continuation bet. Also, late in tournaments, players usually have to hit the flop pretty strong in order to call. I think that your opponent's stack size is also a good indicator as to whether yous hould be or not.

That said, check/fold turn.

[PancakeBoy]

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Go back and reread HOH2... you fire continuation bets into pots that are likely to have missed your opponents. This is a HORRIBLE flop for making a continuation bet. Think about all the hands that your opponents might be playing that hit this flop --- AQ,KQ,KJ,QJ,QT,J9,JT,98, (double belly buster)... almost anything they would be playing is better than your hand in this situation. Plus you have two opponents, not one. I wouldn't do a continuation bet on the flop, much less on the turn... If you always make a continuation bet after raising when you miss the flop, you will become easy to read.... don't even THINK about firing a second barrel here.

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just bumping this quote - it seems a lot of ppl aren't even questioning the flop continuation bet! That is a seriously -EV play imo, look at all the hands that flop hits. Yuck. Sometimes u gotta skirt up with AK and check and fold.

[Flopzilla]

Why raise preflop if you will give it up postflop. No one will respect your raises then.
Scary board, but such is life. You need to continue the semibluff here. Fight this time, Next time they will call when you have the nuts.
If called on the flop, you've been slapped twice, THEN check the turn.

[ZootMurph]

It really depends on the player. If he is not very aggressive, I'd make a 300 or so bet. He probably won't fold to it, but as long as he doesn't raise you are in good shape as you've given yourself odds rather than hoping he'll give you odds. You also have a LITTLE bit of folding equity. If he is VERY passive (i.e. he'll check behind on the turn check), then I'd HAPPILY check. If he's relatively aggressive (i.e.- able to raise your small bet here), then I'd check and call a bet if he bets 300 or less. Fold to a bigger bet.

[PancakeBoy]

You raise preflop to isolate and to get money in the pot while you're likely ahead and to set up fold equity for a continuation bet on the flop.

As for the last reason, look at the flop, put the opponents on two hands in which a continuation bet will make them lay down, then ask yourself how likely both opponents missed the flop and will lay down...

If the flop were 952 a continuation bet would make much more sense, as the crap high card hands will easily fold.

[adanthar]

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If you are betting with AQ here, you should bet with AK too. The initial continuation bet is still +EV, even against two opponenets.

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I usually agree with 98% of your posts, but this one is off. There's no way they fold the percentage that you need.

Actually, I'm gonna go post a quick thread about this.

[Degen]

1/2 pot on HU flop, no bets otherwise...i very rarely put more money into an unimproved AK, this is a surefire way to burn a lot of chips.