$1/$2 NL 6 max.

UTG limps with $213. Button (loser shorty) limps. SB (really bad has $285) completes.

I cover them and make it $14 in the BB. UTG calls.

Pot $32. Flop [5d][5c]. UTG is a 25 / 22 player so I have no idea what he would limp UTG with and call a $14 raise. I assume some pocket pair or SC that he thinks can bust me if I have a big pair?

Hes aggressive and will bet almost every time if check because he (and the rest of the free world) will assume I have AK. So I check and he bets $26 on cue.

How do you play this with AK and AA?

Im sure most wouldve bet with AA, but if I want to check AK sometimes I need to check AA sometimes.

How much does he like to call down postflop? Do you think he's a station who can't muck anything here?

Basically if you're going to check AA in this spot it's to CR. I think that sends a powerful message to anyone paying attention that your checks aren't always weakness.

That said, if you're going to CR AA, and you want your AK to look like your AA here, you have to make the same CR with both. vs a $26 bet i'm raising to $60 or $70. with no FD and a small chance of him having a 5 here (i'm stacking off with AA btw in this spot), the range of hands he can call you with is small. But this way you can give up with AK and punish him with AA (or QQ/KK in this spot too), assuming he wants to continue.

Still, being OOP I'd rather bet out. I don't want my opponents to sense weakness and try to take the pot.

I also think that if you check call the flop with the intention of CRAI on the turn, you're going to find him checking behind you on a lot of turns.