400NL: two AK hands, two flop decisions

[soah]

you may have the best hand in the first one, but you don't want to play a big pot with it

in the second hand you usually have about 6% equity

[Albert Moulton]

[ QUOTE ]
you may have the best hand in the first one, but you don't want to play a big pot with it

in the second hand you usually have about 6% equity

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree.

Call in hand 1.

Fold in hand 2.

And please ignore the following statement if you are playing in a game where c-b's into guys who fold too much on the flop is your bread and butter, but I make a lot more out of top pair (and lose less with missed overcards) by checking a lot of flops, even drawish flops like those in the OP (espcially if I have a back door nut flush draw) than just c-b'ing OOP.

I frequently make use of NLHETAP Concept No. 17 with good live results.

[ QUOTE ]
Concept No. 17: If your preflop raise is called behind you, check a lot of flops.

[/ QUOTE ]

The reasoning is explained on p. 257 of the book. It works well for me, but would require changing from a "c-b by default" approach, to a "check by default" approach, where c-bs are the "mixing up" play rather than the standard play.

When stacks are deep and I want to play a small or medium pot for maximum profit, I check a lot of flops. In both hands this is an option if you don't want to play a big pot.

[Albert Moulton]

[ QUOTE ]
In both hands this is an option if you don't want to play a big pot.


[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, obviously you have position in hand 1, so checking the flop out of position isn't an option there when villain donk bets. But it's an option in hand 2.

[warrantofice]

If they didn't flop sets i'd win every hand

[Chargers In 07]

Albert when you say "check alot of flops" do you mean IP?
/slight hijack

[WCGRider]

No he means OOP, so you can control the pot better, increase value, and occasionally cr bluff on a read

[Albert Moulton]

[ QUOTE ]
No he means OOP, so you can control the pot better, increase value, and occasionally cr bluff on a read

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, that is what I meant. And, on rereading even hand 2, the SPR is less than 5. So, if OP's target SPR was less than 5, then he should be willing to get all-in under most post-flop conditions when he hits his hand. So the guys in this thread who said "push" probably aren't making a mistake if villain might be taking this line with draws, TPWKs, and bluffs. I still think fold is better, as soah recommended, but a push isn't bad either. There is a lot of money already in the pot.

The checking OOP thing often works better with deeper stacks relative to the pot size at the flop, especially when the guy(s) behind your are tricky/aggressive.

So, as played in the OP for hand 2, betting out with a plan to either push or fold to a raise depending on who does it and for how much might be better in this case than checking. But I like to explore alternative lines when I see them. I just failed to look closely at the stack sizes and SPR in this case before throwing out the "check" idea.

[Renton]

call down 3 streets hand one

fold hand 2