$2 NLHE 6-max: Overplaying AK?

The hand was played in 6max zoom. I had no stats on the guy as I no longer have a HUD. I'd like some opinions on how I played this as I'm not sure if calling him down with TPTK was a good idea and then calling his all in with two pair.


poker stars $0.01/$0.02 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players

BTN: $5.19
SB: $0.94
BB: $2.37
UTG: $2.17
Hero: $3.20
CO: $3.57

Pre Flop: ($0.03)
1 fold, Hero raises to $0.06, 1 fold, BTN raises to $0.18, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.12

Flop: ($0.39) T :diamond: 8 :club: K :club: (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $0.25, Hero calls $0.25

Turn: ($0.89) 4 :spade: (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $0.73, Hero calls $0.73

River: ($2.35) A :spade: (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $2.08, Hero calls $2.04 all in

I think you need to be re raising pre flop with AK, especially when OOP. You guys are playing deep this means that position becomes more important and your post flop decisions which are harder for you - due to you being OOP - are more important.

You can profitably get in AK preflop for 100 bb against random 2nl players. I'm not too sure about much deeper but it is still probably ok to get stacks in here.

I think this board is wet enough for us to donk with TPTK, villain will probably call us with all flush draws, all straight draws and all pairs. Checking here is dangerous as there are a bunch of turn cards that will either make your opponent a better hand or scare away your action. The only time we can consider checking is if villain is loose aggressive and we plan to check-raise them, so I believe we must raise villains C-bet.

As played I think we need to donk the turn as well, as I said before there are a bunch of worse hands that will continue. And a bunch of draws that will take a free card if we check. I think it is unlikely that villain is betting a draw very often again here. I believe that they are betting for value, but given this there aren't many value hands in villains range that you don't beat that are 3-betting preflop, my suspicion here is that villain might be value betting a hand like KQ or QQ. Their range does include all the premiums but I think that their value betting range includes enough second best hands for us to call. Especially given how under-repped our AK is.

River is an easy call, you now beat so much of Villains value range that would be shoving here that we fist pump call. There are also a few missed flush draw bluffs that villain decided to barrel.

Thanks for the insight! Personally I'd never shove pre with AK at 2nl zoom, especially with 150bb. Could've possibly 4-bet here though.

I think you're right with either donking or check raising the flop, even if he re-raised it would've given me a good idea of where I stood in the hand and how aggressive my opponent was.

The opponent is persistent. I think we can get away on the turn and stop the bleeding.

4bet preflop may be better

Disgusting river but I do think you're beat here. Villain is deepstacked with correct 3bet sizing. Aggressive (seemingly value) betting and sets the river up nicely to stack you.

I think calling pre is fine but we have to x/r flop. Never play passively OOP, even more so against decent players.

Think its fair to say villain has AA or KK

I don't see how we can get away in the situation by making a river fold as some have suggested. Sure 4betting pre flop was an option but by flat calling you under represented the strength of your hand and so top two pair on the river is a very strong hand.

I wouldn't have been surprised if we had shoved the river for value because for sure we are calling the rest of our chips. No reason to put villain on AA or KK. Those are cooler situations that we shouldn't worry about much and take it as it comes rather than folding strong hands.

in zoom players usually plays pocket pairs, but you cant fold here in NL2 zoom so many newbies and they can play with Kx same. But I think if he really catched 3of a kind with pocket pair, he would checked the river cause you called like searching for the straight with JQ. So my opinion it's a bluff

seems perfectly standard to me.