Pushing too hard with AK?

[morello]

Do most of you check-fold, check-call, or bet the river? Does anyone check-fold or check-call the turn?

Party Poker 10/20 Hold'em (6 max, 5 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG folds, <font color="CC3333">MP raises</font>, Button folds, SB folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, MP calls.

Flop: (6.50 SB) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, MP calls.

Turn: (4.25 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, MP calls.

River: (6.25 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>,

Final Pot: 8.25 BB

[Rostioff]

I believe you played this hand fine up to the river. I'd bet the turn in order to protect the likely to be best high hand, however, you should just check call the river.

The reason I advocate a check call on the river rather than a bet are as follows. One, your opponent will bluff many hands that you can beat with AK...KQ, AQ, AT, etc. these are all common raising hands in shorthanded play. Two, he is unlikely to call a bet with these high card hands that AK would beat (in short, if you're getting called, you're probably beat). Three, he may check middle pocket pairs behind you that he would otherwise call a bet with. Finally, a call is in order because the board is highly non threatening and the three of spades does little to change the board from the turn to the river.

[morello]

I agree with much of what you've said.

I think the question boils down to how often a worse hand will call my river bet. A hand like KQ or A7 may very well check behind, but might also call my river bet. I've been called down by Queen high before in these games, but what the frequency of non-pairs calling down is, I don't know.

I don't think the river bet will get any worse hands to fold, my question is should it be made as a value bet?