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[joethepro]

I used to have trouble sometimes with AK winning small pots and losing big, but this is what I do now for cash games. What do you think?

Set up: you have AK and the flop is A, 8, 3 (for the no draw situation) and As, 8s, Tc (for draws). You are always the preflop raiser and it's always heads up.

My bet sizes are determined by trying to find a balance between making the most money out of hands i beat and and lose the least possible with hands i'm losing to.

The possible hands i could be facing:

Villain A ) A8 or 88
Villain B ) Ax (lower kicker)
Villain C ) TT or similar pocket pair (One over card for them)
Villain D ) K8 (middle pair)

the likelihood of the above hands of course depend on position and aggresiveness of the player in the hand with you which i have left out of this discussion for simplicity sake. you could of course adjust your bet sizes according what is more likely the type of hand a player enjoys seeing flops with.
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SITUATION ONE: No draw flop (A 8 3) Out of position short stacked

Flop) bet 3/4 the pot - i want to define my hand quickly since i am short stacked. because i bet so much that Villain A could feel I’m committed and it's safe to reraise me so I would fold on a reraise. Villain B would call such a large bet because i'm short stacked so even if he is losing he can't lose too much (and he could always hit his 2nd pair). Villain C could call this bet too with only one overcard. Villain D will fold most likely. Also because you are short stacked, you can’t be bluffed off a pot so betting 3/4 the pot will not encourage reraise bluffs from Villain B,C or D.

Turn) bet 1/2 the pot - if Villain A slow played, since you're short stacked, you're pretty much committed. He has you, so you may as well try to extract as much money as you can from the other Villain B and C. Going from 3/4 to 1/2 bet sizes psychology makes you look like you're betting weaker (yet betting higher money) and may be enough of a push to get Villain B and C to call without good odds to do so.

River) bet 1/3 the pot - to continuing suckering them in to call

SITUATION TWO: No draw (A 8 3) Out of position deep stacked

Flop) bet 1/2 pot - some choose to check this but online players make it hard to read a bet after you check so i like to somewhat define my hand. this smaller bet will allow all Villain to call you even some Villain Ds. Villain A can choose to slow play call or reraise you. If reraised 3x or less i will call.

Turn) check/then call if raised. however in the situation of the reraise on the flop i would bet out again a little more than half the pot. this will stop all bluffs and semi bluffs in their tracks. for example if Villain B,C or D tried to make a move and reraised the flop, they are either forced to call or fold. if you are reraised again you fold. on the river you check/ then fold if raised.

River) 1/3 the pot - sucker bet

SITUATION THREE: No draw (A 8 3) In position (deep or short stacked)

Flop) 1/2 the pot – gets everyone to call and Villain A sometimes to slow play (if you bet too large you might get checked raised huge)

Turn) check – saves you from the slow playing Villain A and the loss you lose from the other villains, you’ll gain when they call your river because you checked here.

River) 3/4 the pot – since you checked the turn a large bet could get a call from any of the other Villains who think you are now stealing the pot and the bet is large enough that a reraise most likely means you’re facing Villain A.

When I have time I will add what I do with AK in and out of position, short and deep stacked on a board with draws (As 8s Tc). do you disagree with any of the bet sizes?