So I am utg+2 with AK with Ah and 170 behind, I just sat down and have not played with anyone here before.

I raise to 15 and get 3 callers btn, bb, and utg.

Flop comes 2h3h7s
I bet 20 so 1/3 pot ( I take a 1/3 pot flop then pot sizing on turn a lot with a lot of my range, probably not on this board though)

Btn and bb call
Pot is 120, I have 135 left

Turn is 2c
I think my range is the only range that has big overpairs and A high is good here sometimes so I jam

Btn goes into the tank and folds (it looked like he had a pair, and after the hand he said he had a pair)

bb goes into the tank for a few minutes and makes the call

River is Js

I show A high he shows 4h5h

Is this a good play? Obviously when they call I’m going to lose a lot, but it seems like they have to Fold so much of their range that it would be profitable.

Thoughts?

I think it's a terrible play at 1/2. Ace high seldom seldom seldom wins in that game and you don't have to stack off just because you have AK. Maybe I'm a nit but i don't like the strategy there.

I kinda like it. You were OOP, got a better hand to fold (maybe because I typically lie when asked what I had tbh) and got a worse hand to call getting crappy odds. Your SPR was pretty low too.

With 2 backdoors and 2 overs I'm ok with the flop continuation for that sizing. However from there on....

- We are 4handed to a flop and 3handed on the turn, we don't have to bluff often here to balance our range,
- AK has "some" showdownvalue,
- our hand does not block any of their strongest calling hands, like 99 or TT, T9s for instance would be a better bluff candidate,
- conversely the A is a bad card to have since we block quite a few flush combo's,
- there are much better turn cards to barrel on, like any , or a wheel card,
- this is typically a board that people don't like to fold top pair or overpairs on.

I'd rate this bluff: 2/5 stars.

Must feel nice how it worked out tho.

This just reeks of FPS.

Against unknowns, this is terrible. You have no idea how loose / tight they are, what their ranges are for calling your MP open, etc. Two players called flop and now you're giving them roughly 2:1 to call you. Best case scenario is you're up against a stubborn draw, but literally any pair has you crushed. Do you really want to be putting in your stack with A high and... a pair draw?

It's great that it worked out but this is a pretty bad play over time and overall.

once you get 3+ callers i dont think its a good idea to continuation bet unless you have a strong hand or draw.

I agree with everything you guys are saying. When he called my immediate reaction was oh ****, I need some help. So I guess I knew it was a bad play.

I really like the point about T9s being better than AhK for a bluff.
When I look at my value range that I take this line with it is 88-KK so 36 combinations. (Maybe 78s too)

AA and 77 I make another small bet on turn and jam river.

So my bluff range should be T9s, 89s, Ahxh, that is 18 combinations, I should have more for a pot sized bet what else should I include?

I’m aware being balanced at 1/2 isn’t really important, I just would like to know the correct ranges for my own knowledge.