AK hand with unusual title

[Redd]

This whole table is pretty splashy, with 3 players at around 50/20 over small hand samples. Button and SB are two of these Villains and can have fairly wide ranges here (within the modest confidence interval that a 50-hand sample allows). UTG is unknown.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ Hero (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool (http://poker-tools.flopturnriver.com/Hand-Converter.php) from FlopTurnRiver.com (http://www.flopturnriver.com) (Format: 2+2 Forums)

MP ($13.80)
Button ($18.26)
SB ($44.42)
Hero ($35.45)
UTG ($29.46)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/club.gif. SB posts a blind of $0.10.
UTG calls $0.25, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to $1</font>, SB (poster) calls $0.90, Hero calls $0.75, UTG calls $0.75.

<font color="blue">Aside: I've got a strong hand against a fairly laggy raise. But, I'm OOP in what's likely going to be a multiway pot. In limit this would be an easy-peasy 3-ball but I'm kinda scared to play this UI as the 3-bettor against these loosies post flop in a big pot OOP. So I just call it?</font>

Flop: ($4) 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero...

My thought process at the time was as follows:

-Button will CB pot 100% of the time with any hand. Might as well let him bet because he won't call with A-high if I donklead.

-So I'll check here; but then what?

-I also want to get SB along for the ride, since he'll call a reasonable amount with a fd, king, probably most pockets, or maybe something like A5 here.

-We kick SB out with a lot of stuff if we c/r. Plus we give up our hand to the button and he'll ditch with anything &lt;Kx, AA. So maybe I'll just call and lead any turn!

It was at this point that I realized I needed help, since my decision was to call AK pf and then slowplay my big hand on the flop, and this can't possibly be right. So what's my play here?

[ColdSteel]

Good thought process. Very good.

I like just calling preflop. Looks like you don't have much fe, and you could easily be in a situation where your equity is very thin. If the SB had folded, I'd lean more strongly towards re-raising, or if you read the BN as a LAG.

I like check-raising the flop. If SB calls BNs initial flop bet, the pot will be quite large. You need to make sure that if the SB is playing a flush draw (with the A:hearts: by the way) he is making a mistake in doing so. Stacks might make your situation a little funky, and have you pushing more often than if they were deeper.

You said that your plan had you "slowplaying" postflop and then raising the turn. But you werent really slowplaying. You were excercising pot control. Theres a huge difference. And pot control is one of those things that is really important in no limit, and not nearly as important in limit. Its also harder to accomplish in no-limit.

[Redd]

[ QUOTE ]
You said that your plan had you "slowplaying" postflop and then raising the turn. But you werent really slowplaying. You were excercising pot control.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that was basically my rationale for the pf call. But why do I need pot control for the flop? Don't I want to get as much in as possible here?

[Antinome]

First, you should raise this. You do not want to play this hand OOP in a multiway pot. Raising is the best way to make that not happen.

Second, You should lead this flop. If you had 3bet preflop, that would actually disguise your hand, because your lead is 'just' a cbet. As played c/c, c/r are meh. They kind if define your hand. Do you really want to have this checked around and have a flush card fall? No, I just lead out. If everyone folds, fine, I'm happy with this result.

[orange]

I would reraise PF. Mainly to isolate, but for other reasons too (such as taking it down PF, gaining value from weaker hands, increase the chances of winning the hand via PF or c-bet on flop, etc etc).

I would lead the flop or c/r.

Pot control on this hand is just lol too. We have a strong hand, we don't need pot control. We should be looking to gain value from lesser Kings, AA, etc.

[ColdSteel]

Right, I'm not saying that I agree that pot control is what you want to do here. I'm just pointing out the difference.

Actually you do want pot control here -- of the opposite kind that most people think of. You do want as much money as possible to go in on the flop. If you know for certian that both of your opponents will callin, then for sure go all-in.

But if you check, the BN bets and the SB calls, I think its important to put in a raise that's big enough so that a flush draw is wrong to call, but not so big that the flush draw will fold. If that's all in, then all in you go.

[gimmetheloot]

Redd, instead of just smoothcalling, if you dont want to play a multi-way pot OOP with AK, think about reraising more than normal to help make sure it gets down to heads up. You probably have a big equity edge against this guy preflop, so get some money in there.

As played, I think I would be c/c this flop if SB folds and then leading or c/r the turn AI. Depending on the card and what you think button will do.

If Sb calls, I am raising, regardless if it gives away my hand. You cant really expect to get it AI without either you being beat or against another king, and no K ball ever gets away from a raise.

[Shaddux]

Reraise preflop. I would rather play AK in a big pot OOP than in a multiway pot OOP.

I lead almost any flop after reraising pf, and I probably wouldn't make this an exception. However, other arguments of c/c or c/r seem fine.

[HumanACtor]

[ QUOTE ]
Aside: I've got a strong hand against a fairly laggy raise. But, I'm OOP in what's likely going to be a multiway pot.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think its likely not going to be a multiway pot when you 3bet this.