First, the hand turned out like it turned out. But let's start at the beginning. Why did you raise 4.5x with a raise and 2 callers ahead of you with AK? Why not call? Why not raise more or push? What was your thinking here? With all those players in front, where you on a blind? that's why you were in early position post flop, right? What were your stack sized, what percentage of each person's stack was in the pot, etc?

I don't know if this would have Ended any differently with that flop. But, I still don't understand the logic of a 4.5xBB raise behind a 2xBB raise. What did you think he was raising with? (I'm asking.) Regardless of how it turned out. And why is the other guy just calling in as the cream filling to your little oreo raisefest? Did that strike you as strange?

I still don't know what the blinds were, but let's say they were 25/50 and you each had about 1500 chips still. I would have called with AK or decided that one or 2 of them have a pp lower than ak and I wanted to take a coinflip - and pushed to get heads up. (but if i called) With that flop I would have bet the pot and maybe they call maybe not. 2 pair isn't something i give any more value than 1 pair against a flush draw - because it's not any better if he hits the flush (to me... I understand you COULD make a full house, but if you're playing a MTT early to catch long odds like that you won't make it very far very often). The more players in the had the more likely someone is drawing to the suit, so I bet bigger when there's more preflop callers (maybe 2x pot). I'm NOT trying to get the drawer to come along for the ride, I'm trying to give him a good reason to fold. If you 'SUCKER' the drawing hand to stay with you in a MTT, then they'll hit 1 out of 3.5 - 4 times. ooops. you're out. Better to take the pot right there. Over a 3-5 hour tourney you don't want to win 3 out of 4 pots against the guy who can knock you out. You want to win 3 out of 3 and fold the 4th.

When he pushes I'm putting him on AK, AQ or trips. Since I beat 2 of those I'm calling.... HOWEVER, since he called a raise and a reraise in your actual hand I would put a lot higher odds on him slowplaying kk or aa. (he wasn't but that would certainly tick my 'what-the-fuck-o-meter'). and I might lay it down when he pushes. it would depend on my remaining stack. That's the problem with early in a MTT you have no idea and people range from wild ass crazy to crazy like a fox. In the end I probably would have lost all my chips there with 2 pair against the flush draw. But I'm still wondering why you raised to 4.5xBB with AK from the blind with a raise and call in front. That's not a great play. Either call or push. You either WANT TO SEE a flop cheap (call)... or you want the pot right now (push) and if you don't get the pot right now then you want to be heads up against Aq, aj or worst case a pocket pair.

I'll play AK cheap with a raiser in front early in an MTT, personally. And I'll push back into the raiser late. You played it OK. Just spend some quality time yourself thinking of how you're going to play AK in different situations - both tactically and strategically. Strategically, early in a MTT I'm more inclined to fold and live to fight in many situations. AK hitting 2 pair isn't one of them, but you got a miracle flop, THEN you got UNLIKELY ACTION post flop FROM A DRAWING HAND. More often than not this flop is going to miss you and you're going to have a make a very difficult decision sitting in first position staring at a table that was unafraid preflop (which would put one of them on a PP at least). Whatcha gonna do then? That's a much more likely scenario with AK on the blind. Call it, then play it carefully. Again, that's not what happened here. But it's the most likely scenario.