How to defend AK?
 

I was new to the table, but I saw some wild betting and raising with mediocre hands. Too aggressive on the flop? Should I have raised the turn?

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (10 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB calls, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, SB calls, BB folds, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 raises</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, SB calls, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 caps</font>, Hero calls, SB calls.

Turn: (10 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Hero calls, SB calls.

River: (13 BB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Hero calls, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 19 BB

Re: How to defend AK?
 

You played the hand fine.

Doesn't anybody fold the river to SB's raise?

Re: How to defend AK?
 

Seems to me that you loose the hand.
But you played fine, I would probably choose to call the flop and check raises the turn and if he caps I really need some reads, passive I'd fold, agressive I call =P
but without reads this is dificult, I'd probably call down, I think SB had you both althought

Re: How to defend AK?
 

Preflop and flop ok. I would raise the turn to protect the hand.

Re: How to defend AK?
 

A c/r on the turn seems to be more efficient.
I was pretty sure after the river raise of SB that I lost, but I guess I had to call

Re: How to defend AK?
 

[ QUOTE ]
You played the hand fine.

Doesn't anybody fold the river to SB's raise?

[/ QUOTE ]

Assuming SB isn't a total loon, I do. Check-raising two guys with something that isn't better than TP? Unlikely.

Edit: Well, actually, I rarely fold here, and win even more rarely when I call.

Re: How to defend AK?
 

I definitely had to raise the turn, then the SB might have folded.
Giving up TPTK for one bet in a pit that large. Isn't that the biggest mistake? Can I be more than 14% sure that I'm beaten?

Re: How to defend AK?
 

I think that folding to the check raise and overcall on the river is probably correct.

Your reason for calling down after UTG's flop cap, was presumably in the hope that he was overplaying a weaker Ace, plus a few outs to improve if behind to a 2 pair hand.

When SB check raises the river after having just called all the way, I doubt that your TPTK is good. Also as UTG has called you will at least see what the best hand was.

Re: How to defend AK?
 

you can fold to the river CR here against most (but not all) opponents. this is almost never a bluff.

Re: How to defend AK?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I definitely had to raise the turn, then the SB might have folded.
Giving up TPTK for one bet in a pit that large. Isn't that the biggest mistake? Can I be more than 14% sure that I'm beaten?

[/ QUOTE ]

Unless UTG was a maniac, he probably had a better hand than you when he capped the flop.

If SB was fishy, then you did not mind him padding the pot while you were calling down, as your hand was probably better than his.

If you had the best hand on the flop and SB outdrew you, that was unfortunate. However, I think that if you had raised the turn to try to drive out SB, that you could easily have then been 3-bet by UTG with a better hand. That would have made seeing a showdown a lot more expensive.

So, I think that you were correct in this hand to just call down after UTG capped your flop 3-bet.