V1 (UTG) ($200 approx) : No special reads. Decent player. early 30s.
V2 (CO) ($56): has been playing for only 2-3 orbits. No reads either. mid 30s.
Hero (BTN) ($550 approx) : Good image at the table. early 30s.


- V1 opens for $12
- Folds around to V2 who 3bets all-in for $56.
- Hero looks down at AKo.

Best course of action? Flat or raise?

Raise to like 130ish and if first guy flats just ai on any flop. By making a raise that isn't a all in it allows them to make a lot more mistakes and call badly w like At or Aj vs when yo shove they fold.

sewktbk, what do think is the best course of action? ...and why?

Right, but i'm also thinking that if I just flat, V1 is even more likely to make a bad call with a weaker A than if I raise him. I feel like a raise here only gets called/shoved over by a monster, given his position/preflop raise and the fact there has been a 3bet and 4bet behind. I feel like there might be an argument to only flat to try and keep the bottom of his range in the hand.

I'm on the fence. Which is why i'm posting.

If you flat V1 will think you have a monster and fold, lock.

a 4bet after a 3bet shove can also be viewed very strong.

I like a fold. AK against 2 strong ranges and no FE isn't anything special. You probably have a small edge against V2 and V1's $ covers the rake plus a few bucks, but V1 gets to decide when to play for whole stack, which is a problem. Plus you'll get info on V1 utg range and V2 short stack range, aka reads. And if V1 also folds you can remove decent player label.

Call or min raise, but not a shove. Even min raise is half his stack and probably too much.

V2 is allin, you're playing 7 card draw with him and that part of the game is over. Now it's all about what to do to keep V1 in with a weak range, the plays that would fold out V1 and isolate you against V2 are pointless now. The only hands that commit his entire stack and call your all-in at this point or even call half of his stack are hands that are a little ahead of you PFAI.

Unsuited big slick is an excellent heads up hand, V2 thinks he's good enough to play for stacks pre flop, highly unlikely that all three of you have solid hands, but keep it light to string V1 along with the idea that he might be able to take advantage of V2s AI.

Another way to think about this is to simplify the game to a HU hand between you and V2, where V2 straddled for 56 bucks before he saw his hand. Would you then just smooth call the straddle and let him limp into a flop by not raising your headsup opponent when you hold AKo?

And what's the chance of him just smooth checking the straddle (actually smooth calling your smooth call to V1) if he's got 1/4 his stack in the pot with 1 AI and 1 other with a hand good enough to open with? He's going to have a strong inclination to just ship it himself and see if you decide you commit, especially if he thinks you're only calling to take advantage of the shortstack.

stack of red

Thanks for your input Kswift.

At the time I hesitated and thought do I reraise to isolate? I ended up deciding to just flat, because it seemed useless to isolate a guy with whom there is no action left, as you yourself explained. I felt like I might keep V1s bottom range in the hand, while still not be pot committed if he got clearly super excited and reshoved behind (although it wouldve been difficult to fold at that point).

V1 ended up folding pre after I flatted. After the hand was done and I hit an A OTF, he said he folded AQ and that I wouldve gotten his whole stack. This validated my preflop decision, but my initial hesitation got me thinking I should get some input here, see what counterarguments I could come across.