10NL - with AK multiway

[Hoffma]

Poker Stars - No Limit Hold'em Cash Game - $0.05/$0.10 Blinds - 5 Players - (LegoPoker (http://www.legopoker.com) Hand History Converter (http://www.legopoker.com/hh))

SB: $4.40
BB: $10.40
Hero (UTG): $13.45
CO: $3.70
BTN: $10.85

Preflop: Hero is dealt A/images/graemlins/club.gif K/images/graemlins/heart.gif (5 Players)
<font color="red">Hero raises to $0.40</font>, 2 folds, SB calls $0.35, BB calls $0.30

Flop: ($1.20) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif (3 Players)
<font color="red">SB bets $0.20</font>, BB calls $0.20, Hero calls $0.20

Turn: ($1.80) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif (3 Players)
<font color="red">SB bets $0.50</font>, BB folds, Hero calls $0.50

River: ($2.80) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif (2 Players)
<font color="red">SB bets $1.00</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises to $3.30</font>, SB calls all-in for $2.30

Pot Size: $9.40 ($0.45 Rake)

I'm like a deer in headlights when AK goes multiway and I don't hit the flop. I know my flop action really sucks, but is the rest okay?

[Student Caine]

Grunch:

Preflop: Depending on the texture of the game I will raise to 5xBB here. But a raise is definitely good and the standard 4x works.

Flop: So we have a 1/6 bet from the SB here and a call from the BB. SB is either slowplaying an absolute monster or playing his weak jack or flush/oes draw.

To me this is going to be the pivotal part of this hand. Dependendent upon my reads I can either assume he is strong (unlikely) or weak/drawing (more likely).

If my reads/information tell me that he is strong then I am going to let it go.

If my reads tell me that he is weak then I am going to raise here. I understand that this goes against the idea that we do not want to build a large pot when our hand is weak, but I believe that it is justified here for the following reasons:

1. We were the preflop aggressor and by showing additional aggression in the form of another raise we have the potential to fold out a better hand (e.g., JX) that is concerned about an overpair or a drawing hand and take down the pot here.

2. If we are repopped here then we can be almost assured that we are a sizeable dog and can let our hand go.

3. We have position, which means that if/when we are checked to on the turn we can determine what the action is and either exercise pot control by checking through, taking a free card, or firing a second barrel based upon what falls on the turn.

In the absence of reads I see the .20 bet as weakness and would raise to $1-1.25

Turn: With both players still in the hand I play it the same. This is why our flop raise is so important. Dependent upon the reaction to our flop bet we could possibly make a better determination as to where we are here.

River: I think this plays itself.