FLHE - playing AK

Hi all.

I`ll use AK as an example, but it is the same for being delt any 2 similar cards AQ, AJ, etc

In limit cash holdem what do u do if u r delt AK. I normally raise then reraise, then u get to the flop. My problem starts when I`m HU with an obviously aggressive player.

Imagine, u miss the flop. Say the flop is 4,7,10 rainbow. U raise, he reraises. U r almost sure he is on the steal. Would u throw your hand away at that stage?

I feel I lose quite a bit of cash getting caught up in situations similar to this. Any ideas???

Are you in position or out of position? Do you have any backdoor draws? What do you know about your opponent? What does he know about you?

Out of position. I`m first to act. No draws. He is very aggressive. He bets `til he drops!!!

Thinking about it I should fold after I raised at the flop. If he has something I`m beat, if not good luck to him!!!

You can't just call, you'll get raised. Your only viable plays are a reraise or fold. I'm leaning towards the fold, but a re-raise would be a nice, albeit expensive statement. His reraise may not mean top pair or overpair, but as long as he knows the flop missed you (he does) then your just as big a dog to middle or bottom. If you were IP then you wouldn't even consider folding unless you were up against a bonafide rock.

If you are against an obvious aggressive player that you know is going to bet/raise every chance why in the world would you bet/raise with only ace high? Maybe you have the best hand maybe he hit one of his rags and is ahead. If you think it's 50/50 that you are ahead then just check/call it down unless you hit.

Wait a minute! You check/raised him on the flop. Why?

I was hoping he would check. By check raising I was wanting him to think I was slow playing. It didn`t work

I have got to stop thinking every time an aggressive player bets they must be bluffing, especially if I miss by a mile

If you want him to think you're slowplaying, you should have a range of hands that you think you may get him to fold when you checkraise. There's no point in bluffing if you don't think he'll ever fold anything, right?

So, what hand - that makes sense and can beat AK - will he fold when you checkraise? Because you don't want him to fold AQ, of course. You'd much rather go to showdown against a hand that has only three outs to beat you than to successfully fold it out.