This is my first post so please bear with me. Additionally, I am a former limit player and have been playing 1-2 online and in AC. I'd like your advice on how to play the following hand preflop given the following info:

$200 in front of me...$1/2 nl in Atlantic City

Me: AK suited (h)

three limpers in early position

$35 raise by middle position with appx. $500 in front of him

instant call by cutoff who has appx. $400

button folds to me...

This was my first hand at the table so I had no idea how these guys played, other than a sterotypical guess.

I have given this scenario to a bunch of different players who play and have had quite a few different opinions. Please advise...

Brommy15

Fold $35 is not standard and you are not going to hit TP enough here to make a call profitable IMO.

to me this raise says like JJ+ and he really wants to thin the field

fold

MP is 10 10
cutoff is JJ

I would think hard on this from the button, but to have to lead, I'm not liking it that much unless I flop a wack of hearts

I could justify to myself why this situation would warrant a push. If I thought MP crazy raiser to $35 was protecting a pair, away we go. Caller could go either way, if he has a big pair, you're getting great odds. If he has AK, not so much.

If I was feeling my oats, I would try and use some fold equity and shove it in here.

Mark

I did fold but I've heard the argument to reraising all-in ($199) or call with the intention of checking in the dark postflop. Thoughts on other options???

This argument is fine if you haven't just sat down at the table. But this is your first hand which makes it a fold.

I like the shove more than the check in the dark

If the flop comes with an A K Q J or 10 or combination of these, how are you going to play to a bet?

How about low cards?

The only thing making me feel good on a flop is hearts, anything else and I am thinking there could be trips out there

If he has QQ or JJ and you hit a K or an A, how much do you expect to win?

Very good point, he's probably going to shut down to any scare card unless he hits trips, which is going to really hurt you, of course he could be a very sneaky lag playing 89s or something like that too. First hand at the table, and oop I think there are only two moves, push or fold

getting around 2:1 on the money, even OOP, id call we cant be less than a 2:1 dog unless we're up against AA and even KK wed barely be gettin the odds. KK and AA dont seem likely(by cuttoff anyway) since he would have re-raised, if he reraised, i mostly wouldve folded, but since he only called, i call

I think flat calling is a bad option. You're committing a large portion of your stack in a situation that makes it difficult for you to extract more money if you hit. Push or fold, imho. The raise if very large compared to the blind and pot size, but not especially so compared to their stack sizes. It's pretty big compared to your stack size, however, so I don't think you want to play for implied odds.

I never announce "check dark", and I don't see what it achieves here. Always checking the flop is probably OK, but I don't think you need to let them know.

So from my understanding these are the options, 1st being the best
1. fold
2. push pf
3. check/raise all in any A, K, or 2 heart flop

Sound about right?