[iheartponeez]

I know my preflop raise was too small.

A solid reg can commonly just call pre with AA/KK. I do it all the time. I'll reraise an initial raise (unless I'm on the button, the raiser is ahead of me, and I'm reasonably sure the blinds will fold), but if it's just me and someone else in a 3-bet pot, I'm flatting, generally. Flat calling makes it so so so much more likely that the guy ahead of me will fire with overs, and putting in one real bet in a 3-bet pot is putting in a lot of money. Honestly, I think flat calling HU with AA/KK is a much better play than raising. The amount of times you go broke vs. a set is miniscule compared to the amount of times QQ/JJ/AK fires at a ragged board and then has to fold (or more likely shove because the pot is so bloated), or even c-bets into a scary board because they hope it scares you too.

A 4-bet is a very very clear message, and when I have a superstrong over, I don't want anyone that aware of it. I want the other guy thinking I made a donk/reluctant call of his 3-bet.

Cliffs Notes: 4-betting AA/KK HU is a perfect way to fold out QQ/JJ/AK, while getting shoved on by a hand that chops or beats you. Flat calling with AA/KK is almost guaranteed money vs. a 3-bet HU pot and I think that most regs understand this.

Why is anyone 4-betting AA/KK in the usual 25NL game, devoid of light 3-bets and tricksy preflop raising/3-betting?