$2 NL HE 6-max: I always lose big with AK

[miklcct]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Stakes

$.01/$.02

Table Format

6-max (6 seats)

Currency

$

GGPoker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 5 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: $2.33 (117 bb)
CO: $2.82 (141 bb)
BU: $2.00 (100 bb)
SB (Hero): $1.95 (98 bb)
BB: $3.97 (199 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is SB with A♥ K♦
2 players fold, BTN raises to $0.04, Hero 3-bets to $0.09, 1 fold, BTN calls $0.05

Flop: ($0.20) 6♦ 4♦ 7♠ (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN checks

Turn: ($0.20) K♥ (2 players)
Hero bets $0.10, BTN calls $0.10

River: ($0.40) 3♣ (2 players)
Hero bets $0.40, BTN raises to $1.06, SB (Hero) folds

Total pot: $1.20 (Rake: $0.07)
BU wins $1.13

I couldn't range BTN accurately and his range would contain a lot of H5 considering that he opened at BTN, so I couldn't call this. Was there any better way to play my AK?

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
Your 3-bet is way to small, since it price him in to call with his entire range in position. Standard sizing out of position is 4X. Here you are facing just a min-raise, and for that reason I would size up even more to 5X or 10BB/20c. Make him pay to take position on you.

Flop
This is not a good flop for you, so I am on board with not C-betting AK, and its probably just a check-fold, if he makes a substantial bet. But luckily he check back.

Turn
Now its time to bet for value, and you can go a bit larger than just half pot.

River
Now there is a 1-liner to a straight, yet you still bet full pot. This makes no sense at all. On the river we bet to make worse hands call (value) or better hands fold (bluff), and this bet is unlikely to achieve either of those goals. This is a check and evaluate spot. Sometimes he check back, and then you often win. And if he bet, then you just make a decision based on reads and sizing.

 

[monkeytilter]

Your bet fold wasn't terrible on the river and you managed to make a good fold when raised, though you can definitely size down with the bet (too small and you risk inducing bluff raises though).
The problem is you need to think what is likely to call you for full pot that you beat on the river.

As a niggle bet a bit bigger on the turn, you hit one of the main hands you are looking to hit and it's now time to get value, charge draws and this allows you to play a bigger pot on the river too on favourable run outs.

Definitely 3 bet bigger preflop, you have a value hand vs opener's position (particularly when they min raise). This will also help narrow villain's range and help your post flop decisions.

 

[fundiver199]

Your bet fold wasn't terrible on the river and you managed to make a good fold when raised, though you can definitely size down with the bet (too small and you risk inducing bluff raises though). The problem is you need to think what is likely to call you for full pot that you beat on the river.

Yeah if we are going to bet-fold the river, it definitely need to be more of a blocker sizing and not full pot, since the goal is to get a crying call from mainly worse top pair hands like KQ and KJ. The other option is to check and evaluate, since there are busted draws (98 and diamonds). I tend to do a lot of river checking out of position, and it works well for me, but there are room for different styles.