Mid Tourny AK Play
 

Full Tilt 69+6 double stack NL Tourny about two nights ago...

I have watched the button over play several hands in the last two orbits and has sucked out on players one two occassions once hitting a rivered set and once a runner runner flush.

My image is very tight only having showed down KK and JJ (twice) and AQ in the last hour.

I don't have a hand converter since I am at work right now but remember the specifics so here goes:

Blinds/antes 300/600 75, 90 players left, cash at 45 Avg Stack = 15,000 TC

Hero is in BB with 17534 TC

Folded to button with 30K TC who raises to 1800 TC

Hero Re-Raises with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] to 5000 TC, Button Calls. (10970 in pot)

Flop
2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

I have about 12K left at this point, I am certain that if I check here that the Button will bet and decide that 10K in the pot would be great to take down right now so I push, putting the pressure on the button and off of me...

Any thoughts on why a c/c or c/r or c/f would be a better play here? Any thoughts would be very helpful as I am now just getting back into tournement play after playing strictly limit holdem for the past several years. Thanks!

Re: Mid Tourny AK Play
 

You raised with almost 30% of your stack pre-flop, so I think your push is fine. It sends a consistent, clear message. He may lay down his 99 or K4 to a flop shove, but he might get a little braver if you slow down.

Check-Call is possible only for very small bets, IMO. I think I'd pay up to t1,500 for a shot at the 5, A or K. Any bet larger than t2,000, and I think you need to CRAI.

Check-Raise? There's an excellent chance he missed this flop completely, and he's not calling your check-raise with his 89s. On the other hand, if he bets t5,000+ (very likely), he's getting the right price to call with a lot of nonsense (think J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]).

Check-fold isn't terrible. I like to remind myself that an unimproved AK is a trash hand in the face of strength, although you do have the Wheel draw here, so you haven't missed completely. You have just enough left behind to play a little poker, and this guy will almost certainly donk into you again.

IMO: Shove > CRAI > C-F > C-C