$1100/40min lvl/ 60/181 lvl11

Blind 500/1000
Ante 100

Hero 23,000 (BB)
Villain 150,000+ (SB)
Hero has AK
Folds around to SB
SB opens to 3BB
Hero 3 Bets to 9BB
SB Calls
Flop J85

Villain leads for 6BB
Hero?

Since I lose fold equity pre with a 3 bet Im wondering if its best played as a shove against a SB steal. I think he was partly inducing a shove but just ran into a strong hand. In a structure this deep with levels this long a shove just seemed overly aggressive and my hand too good to do it.

Yes, with 23BB, jamming is the best way to play AK blind vs. blind against an open.

When you 3-bet less than all-in, you allow them to potentially flat you and correctly realize their equity. And then it can become difficult to play post-flop, like here.

As played, it's a spot where both options seem okay. Mucking's alright since you don't have any fold equity to their lead, plus don't have a backdoor flush draw, and you could be far behind AJ/KJ. Or getting the rest of the chips in is reasonable, since you have less than a pot sized bet left, so you're semi-committed to the pot, plus your two overs may be live, and are ahead of draws. But it's a decision to be made while sighing either way. So to avoid awkward situations where it's unclear how to proceed, just shippity dip it in pre.

Against a 3 blind raise, you can comfortably jam up to 30-35BB with AK.

Off this stack size would just be piling it in pre could even get looked up by worst(AQ) or be flipping(1010 JJ QQ) so good chance for a double or increase your stack when he folds which will happen most the time in this spot.

I don't think you can go wrong shoving here when the raise is less than 10x your stack.

That being said, I think a non all-in 3-bet has merit, especially if you can balance with a few marginal suited connector type hands you intend to fold either to a jam or to pressure if you don't connect. I may lean towards 3-betting smaller, like 7.5-8BB, if I take this line, as it may give my opponent the illusion of fold equity if he jams pre or on the flop.

As played I think it's probably a fold, as we're going to have many better hands here (pairs, Jx, flush draws) and it's plausible that not all of our A and K outs are live