AKs hits flop, faces pot bet

[ericlambi]

So you are going to go to the felt every time with TPTK? If you call a re-raise that leaves you with 1/4 of the pot out of position to a guy who just re-raised you with 2 rounds of betting yet to come. I think the only time you are throwing away money in this situation by folding is if the villain has AK also. But I'd like to know what exactly you would do and why -- I'm definitely not claiming to be an expert.

[AncientPC]

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When you lead this flop and get raised, you are folding TPTK already? I don't like it...

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You play back at a re-raiser with TPTK and no reads?

Do you re-raise him all in? Push? Smoothcall?

[Wayfare]

First off, when you bet and someone raises, that is not a reraise, it is a raise. I will now read the rest of the post. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

My answer is that it depends on the opponent.
I often check-call AK on this type of board against a very agro opponent because I am either way ahead or way behind but am ahead enough to make it profitable to continue. If they choose to fire again on the turn I can evaluate, but often times people shut down and check back, leaving me to value bet the end (or check/call depending on the opponent).

Against some opponents it is definately better to lead this flop and fold to any raise, because you know they will raise only if they can beat TPTK. A probe bet of like 2/3 of the pot is often enough to freeze them and let you know you are ahead going in to the turn. The only thing scaring you on the turn would be if they flopped a set, and this is not happening enough to make it worth you worrying about all that much (esp. since they would need to have KK/QQ to have one and you already have a K). The problem with leading with a pot sized bet and the probe bet is that if you are called you have built a $45 pot with $30 left and two streets to go. If you are laying down tptk at PP50 6-max when you will be getting this much value for your money, I doubt it is the highest EV play.

If you are not comfortable playing AK out of position in a raised pot it is not disasterous to fold it. However, I think just calling a raise behind you can be profitable enough when you decide to trap. Again, against this type of action I would probably continue with the hand.

[jtr]

Hello, all.

Thanks very much for the useful feedback. I see now far more clearly than I did at the time the extent to which the flop check gets me in all sorts of trouble. From memory this was just a stupid error, perhaps brought on by a run of hands in which my flop bets kept getting raised all-in. (It's not my usual play when AK hits, honest.) Inexcusable.

The question of how to handle the situation as described, after I'd checked, is really interesting. I can see both sides and now I think I'd probably go with the call-and-reassess-on-turn view. But the important thing is not to get myself into such a crappy situation by never checking such a flop again!

For those of you who care about results: <font color="white">villain had AA and my hand is not good</font>.

Cheers.

[Jonny]

I would probably checkraise all-in on the flop. Here is why:

If he does indeed also have AK (which it appears he does), you will have folding equity, and take it down. IMO once you call the flop you are basically committed for the rest of the hand. So why let him bet when he has you and check when he doesn't. Are you going to fold to a bet on the turn when a blank hits? I wouldn't, with these short of stacks. Push in and hope they all fold.