[jorpot]

I'm relatively new to the game and I would like to hear what you would do in this situation. It's a situation I've faced many times and still not sure what the best move is in the long run.

What is the best move when you get raised after the flop when holding the top pair? I realize the answer will vary depending on the situation, but say you had a situation like this:

You raise preflop with AK and say you get two callers. The flop comes A, junk, junk (all different suit).

I'm the 1st to act so I bet. One folds, but the other raises. I call the raise and see the turn.

It comes something that might give the guy a straight. I check and the guy bets.

I still have the top pair with the best kicker, but don't feel so good since I got raised after the flop and bet into after the check on the turn. What would you do?

Should I have folded after the flop? Was I right to call the raise to see the turn? And should I now consider folding since my hand remains unimproved?

If you do fold here, what is the hand that you put your opponent on? Trips? Straight? Since he called the raise, I would most likely put him on a pocket pair with a flopped trips, but I still have a hard time laying down the Aces with the best kicker.

Half the time, I just call out of curiosity and more likely than not I end up losing.

Feed backs will be appreciated.

[chris]

I usually 3-bet and bet the turn or call and bet out on the turn. I'm more inclined to 3-bet if there are others in the hand so I can get it heads up or if my top pair is vulnerable to an overcard. If you get raised on the turn, it usually means you are beat and should fold at least part of the time. On close turn decisions, you should bet hands that have no outs if beaten and check hands that have outs. For instance, you would sometimes check two pair on a scary board because you can induce a bluff and you still have four cards that can give you a boat.

[norshvind]

I was waiting for a better ring game player to come in before I said anything. Since evenmoney came in now I will throw in my 2 cents.

I am inclined to three bet here too. If my opponent caps then I might give him credit for a set, depends on the opponent. Some would cap a set on the flop and some would wait until the turn to start raising.

[jorpot]

Thanks for the reply guys!
Let me see if I understand what you guys are saying... When you say three bet, you mean, reraise him after the flop?

What's the rationale?

[petronder]

Thanks for the reply fellas.

Let me see if I understand what you guys are saying... When you say three bet, you mean, reraise him after the flop?

What's the rationale?

[petronder]

The rational is to get more money in the pot in case your opponent is raising something like AQ and also to drive out opponents to maximize your chance of winning. Sometimes your opponent may raise with some kind of draw and now instead of getting a free card, you charge him the max.

[pritz]

I had no idea that set and trips were used like that, no matter how I got three of a kind I would always call it a set, just because it sounds better. A little lesson, but still nice to know.