I was wondering if somebody could help me out with this one.

I'm having trouble not getting pot commited with TPTK.

EX: I have [A][K] I raise 4 BB to $16 I get 2 callers. Pot is $50 I hit my A or K. Now if theres any draws out there or another big card that some fish might of cought second pair with and is ready to call any small bet, I need to bet at least $40 to not give any free cards and to put people off there odds. So know I get one caller and the pot is $130.

I'm scared of everything under the sun with this hand, but I dont want this guy to get a free card or off cheap if he's drawing. So know I have to make a pretty sizable bet here again which will almost commit me. If I check or don't bet big I'm afraid of a big bluff or giving him another chance. What do I do here or earlier not to get commited.

I can relate to how you feel about this hand because I feel the same way when I raise with AK, get a few callers and end up pot commited if I follow through on the turn. It looks like you are playing $400 buy-in so lets break it down.

You start with $400.
Raise to $16, leaving you 384
Bet $50, leaving you 334
On the turn, assuming the draw card dosent come you should bet $75-100 to make the draws pay the wrong price, leaving you with 259-224.

You are actually not pot-commited on the turn so can fold if he moves in on you. Only a very strong or crazy player will put a big bet in on the turn on a draw so any raising hand usually has you beat.

This is why you should never play without a full stack. If you started the hand with $300 you are pot-commited on the turn and may be drawing dead.

Regardless, this is one of the toughest spots to be in. Only practice will tell ya how to play it.

gl

YDude

But surely you have some read on your opponents at this level?

- If you're playing against a fish (who's likely to be on a draw or getting stubborn with a weak ace) you bet the turn.

- If you're playing against a tough player who may have either a draw or a better hand, you can check the turn and call a reasonable bet on the river unless you're sure their draw's made it, or value bet 1/2 pot or so if checked to.

Checking behind on the turn has made me feel a lot more comfortable playing AK etc, but I suspect there are not enough tough players at my level ($200NL) for it not to be correct to follow through the turn most times (and just shrug when I walk into a set / 2 pair).

Yeah agreed with Smokin Al. Checking the turn is a huge weapon against good opponents. I usually call the river bet....lots of times I induce a bluff...other times they will value bet the river and I will save my stack.

These hands shows how important position is and how important it is to have reads on players. To play TPTK out of position well is what separates the men from the boys.

I think it makes a difference if you flop the ace or the king. If the flop is K93 and someone calls my bet on flop (and turn if I bet again) they usually have me beat (or they have AK). But if the flop is A93, the caller could have AQ or AJ (or A5s like the player I played against today had)

Kalle makes a good point. And I'd like to add that when you are heads-up, you don't always need to be afraid of the draws. If a flush draw or a straight draw flops, remember that more often than not they DO NOT have that draw.