Always raise with AK? Did I butcher this?

[CheeseMind]

I come into this problem all the time, and I'm wondering the correct action preflop and on the flop.

I have AKs and I know that I want to pump money into the pot because I will win more than my fair share. My question is this. AK is of course a drawing hand, and usually requires me to hit an Ace or King on the flop to continue. If someone raises and another coldcalls the raise, am I better to reraise in this spot or call, hoping to hit the flop before putting more money in the pot?

Even though I happened to hit my card on this flop, usually I don't, and I feel like in such a low limit game, where players will call with middle pair and longshot draws, would it be more profitable and less variance to see the flop for cheaper, and then charge the lesser hands, or am I still +ev to raise, even though I'm only going to hit the flop 1/3(??) of the time, making the raise break even?

Thanks in advance, and I'm sorry if the answer is obvious.

Even though this example happened to work out for me, I use it as the example because it is when I finally decided to post and find out the right answer, having seen this situation so many times already.

Any advice on future streets much appreciated also. Thanks again. You guys all have my respect.

PokerStars Game #5728647858: Hold'em Limit ($0.10/$0.20) - 2006/07/29 - 21:25:40 (ET)
Table 'Nephele' 10-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: cliffordbigr ($1.60 in chips)
Seat 2: giraph ($3.90 in chips)
Seat 3: nnatti8 ($11.10 in chips)
Seat 4: CheeseMind ($3.50 in chips)
Seat 5: 5th St Playa ($4.65 in chips)
Seat 6: KloHans ($5.35 in chips)
Seat 7: Bellos ($4.25 in chips)
Seat 8: Maddley11 ($4.45 in chips)
Seat 9: feelAneed ($12.85 in chips)
Seat 10: mosey_beak ($8.85 in chips)
Bellos: posts small blind $0.05
Maddley11: posts big blind $0.10
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CheeseMind [Kd Ad]
feelAneed: raises $0.10 to $0.20
mosey_beak: folds
cliffordbigr: calls $0.20
giraph: folds
nnatti8: folds
CheeseMind: raises $0.10 to $0.30
5th St Playa: folds
KloHans: folds
Bellos: folds
Maddley11: folds
feelAneed: calls $0.10
cliffordbigr: calls $0.10
*** FLOP *** [9s 6d As]
feelAneed: bets $0.10
cliffordbigr: calls $0.10
CheeseMind: raises $0.10 to $0.20
feelAneed: raises $0.10 to $0.30
cliffordbigr: calls $0.20
CheeseMind: raises $0.10 to $0.40
Betting is capped
feelAneed: calls $0.10
cliffordbigr: calls $0.10
*** TURN *** [9s 6d As] [Ks]
feelAneed: bets $0.20
cliffordbigr: folds
CheeseMind: calls $0.20
*** RIVER *** [9s 6d As Ks] [6h]
feelAneed: bets $0.20
CheeseMind: calls $0.20
*** SHOW DOWN ***
feelAneed: shows [Kc Ah] (two pair, Aces and Kings)
CheeseMind: shows [Kd Ad] (two pair, Aces and Kings)
feelAneed collected $1.50 from pot
CheeseMind collected $1.45 from pot
CheeseMind said, "nh\"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $3.05 | Rake $0.10
Board [9s 6d As Ks 6h]
Seat 1: cliffordbigr folded on the Turn
Seat 2: giraph folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: nnatti8 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: CheeseMind showed [Kd Ad] and won ($1.45) with two pair, Aces and Kings
Seat 5: 5th St Playa folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: KloHans (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Bellos (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: Maddley11 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: feelAneed showed [Kc Ah] and won ($1.50) with two pair, Aces and Kings
Seat 10: mosey_beak folded before Flop (didn't bet)

[MrWookie]

Please use a hand converter, and read the FAQ.

[bozlax]

For everyone's convenience:

Poker Stars
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $0.10/$0.2
10 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is MP3 with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
<font color="#cc0000">UTG raises</font>, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 calls, 2 folds, <font color="#cc0000">Hero 3-bets</font>, 4 folds, UTG calls, UTG+2 calls.

Flop: 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (10.5SB, 3 players)
<font color="#cc0000">UTG bets</font>, UTG+2 calls, <font color="#cc0000">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#cc0000">UTG 3-bets</font>, UTG+2 calls, <font color="#cc0000">Hero caps</font>, UTG calls, UTG+2 calls.

Turn: K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (11.25BB, 3 players)
<font color="#cc0000">UTG bets</font>, UTG+2 folds, Hero calls.

River: 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (13.25BB, 2 players)
<font color="#cc0000">UTG bets</font>, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: 15.25BB

OP: looks ok. This is more likely a chop or a win for you than a loss to a flush or a set of aces (I suppose it could also be a set of 6s or 9s). But, once he donkbets the turn and it's HU, you've got to start worrying about those possibilities, so a calldown is good.

[bozlax]

[ QUOTE ]
AK is of course a drawing hand

[/ QUOTE ]

This is not true. AK can win UI, that's part of what makes it so powerful.

[ QUOTE ]
Even though I happened to hit my card on this flop, usually I don't, and I feel like in such a low limit game, where players will call with middle pair and longshot draws, would it be more profitable and less variance to see the flop for cheaper, and then charge the lesser hands, or am I still +ev to raise, even though I'm only going to hit the flop 1/3(??) of the time, making the raise break even?

[/ QUOTE ]

Preflop is not just about equity. You also 3-bet because you're buying folding equity for the flop, e.g. the flop comes J-high, it's checked to you, you bet, and everybody folds. Without the preflop 3-bet, it's getting checked to you, never, and a raise isn't as likely to clear the field after they've already put money in.

[CheeseMind]

Thanks alot for the help. Sorry about the hand converter mistake, that was my first post here. I appreciate the advice. AK is barely profitable for me because at these limits I'm almost never heads up with it, as that's where I'm most successful (I'm not good at playing the hand when I don't hit the flop and there's more than 1 opponent).

Appreciate it and I will use the hand converter from now on.

Thanks again,
Cheesemind.

[johnnytt]

Hand looks fine I play it the same.

[Str8Fish]

boz... you don't think at least another raise on the turn is worth anything?

[bozlax]

[ QUOTE ]
boz... you don't think at least another raise on the turn is worth anything?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ask yourself this: are you folding if 3-bet or capping? And, otoh, are you happy if Villan folds to your raise, or sad?

[btspider]

i might call the flop trey so i can raise a turn non-spade. you can't really play this hand wrong.

[A_K]

I would be hesitant to cap the flop here, but judging by the other posts a cap is the right play. Is the thinking that an unknown probably doesn't open-raise from EP with A9, and we're ahead of all but two hands (AA and 99) in his open-raising range? (Recognizing that there is only one combination of AA left in the deck).