Raising AK in small stakes, no foldem holdem games

[KarmicDebt]

Ok so the small stakes holdem book says that you do not just raise AK to narrow the field, but because it figures to be the best hand out. I understand that you profit from other people's mistakes (calling your raises when dominated in this case), etc. But what I want to ask here is, has anyone actually done the math and simulations to prove that raising drawing hands like AK and AQ in games where 5-6 others will see the flop regardless of the amount of raising is actually profitable? Sure each individual that cold-calls with crap loses money, but it seems the chips just move around the table from donky to donky (occasionally to the guy that actually won with AK) and are lost to the rake over time.

If your at a table full of idiots that are perfectly willing to play the role of a donkey and call you down with middle pair (fairly often one of them catches two pair or trips by the river), then it seems that while they are not profiting for making such idiotic calls individually, you do not profit either since the showdown value of AK is almost useless since someone else is bound to catch something when you miss the flop. And because you will only spike an ace or king 1 out of 3 flops (obviously sometimes you will spike an ace or king and lose anyway to a legitimate hand or one of the donkeys described above).

One of the biggest leaks in my game early on IMHO was from raising hands like AK and representing a big pair after missing the flop (continuation betting, three barrely bluff, whatever you want to call it). Taking an initial stab on the flop, then checking the turn if I thought I was beat or the pot was multi-way seemed to help reduce that leak, but when I stopped raising AK, AQ, etc before the flop, and started mucking on missed flops (unless the pot is laying me odds to draw to 6 outs, possibly more if I have an inside straight draw or backdoor draws). my swings got a lot smaller, and I still pull very decent pots when I don't raise pre-flop and manage to hit the flop.

I want to re-iterate the situation I am describing is when 5+ people are seeing every flop. I still raise AK and other drawing hands in tighter games, even pushing small edges as described in St0xtrader's book like raising with Q5 suited on the button in a six-handed game to steal the blinds.

Im just looking for opinions here. If im smoking crack, I trust many of you will tell me so

Thanks in advance,

--Karm