2-5: AK on AQJ flop seven handed.
 

2-5 game. local cardroom. reasonably passive in the previous hour. stacks range from 400 to 1500. buyin is 800.

four call and i make it 35 on the button with AsKc. Six call my raise! With a pot of 245, the flop comes down AdQcJc. Check check then a bet of 130. Bettor has 410 behind. I have 1500.

It's folded to me.

I've seen this guy bet with nothing in the past, but given the number of people in the pot, I don't think reads mean too much here. What do you do?

Re: 2-5: AK on AQJ flop seven handed.
 

Make it $275, but don't put in another penny under any circumstances unless that gets called and you spike a non-club T on the turn.

It's either that or fold. And the only reason I'd raise like that is to see if villain really has "nothing" or whether he has "something." If he has a hand, then he'll probably push. If somebody else in the hand wants to play after the donk bet and your small raise, then they'll probably fold or push instead of calling to find themselves sandwiched between you and the donk bettor.

I think calling is terrible because it will make a chain of calls along the line turning this into a monster pot on the turn - which you really aren't interesting in playing. Plus, you don't have much in the way of a redraw if you're behind (3 outs to a straight, and a possible 2nd nut backdoor flush).

Simply folding to the donk bet would be safest, and you're only out the preflop raise. But, given your read, I'd raise to isolate and force him to push, call/bet, or do something to tip me off as to whether he (or somebody else) really has "nothing" or not. Remember that they have to fear AA, QQ, JJ, AQ, and AJ if they want to go all-in vs you. So, if they push over your small flop raise, then they either have one of those hands, or they have some other big hand that isn't afraid to play against that range for their stack.

Re: 2-5: AK on AQJ flop seven handed.
 

i think you can fold here pretty easily...

Re: 2-5: AK on AQJ flop seven handed.
 

raise more preflop!

Re: 2-5: AK on AQJ flop seven handed.
 

Agree with calling being a bad move. It was raise or fold in my mind.

I was feeling a bit aggressive and decided to raise to 400. Everyone folded to him. He raised all in to 410 total and showed KT.

Only positive was that I didn't have to show my hand because he was last aggressor. LOL.

Generally, I think a fold is best in this situation. If he had a bigger stack I'd likely have made it 300 and folded to a reraise.

Re: 2-5: AK on AQJ flop seven handed.
 

raise 55 prefop.

id confidently fold to the donk bet