Quote Originally Posted by Renton
idk, i think if you check the flop and try to get value from your kings you just end up getting in too deep on the turn and river with a marginal hand a lot of the times.

My philosophy, and reason for always betting the flop in these spots is simple. Whenever there is a scenario where my opponents expect me to bet whether I have air or a hand, I generally like to accommodate them. I don't really believe in trying to squeeze significant value from KK when an ace flops. I treat that scenario as if I have flopped middle pair or a weak draw, and I bluff the flop with a couple of outs and a hand that actually has decent showdown value if called. If there is an ace in my range when an ace flops, you better believe I am going to bet it whether I have the ace or not (assuming a HU scenario with fold equity)
Renton, no offense intended, but this sounds like a real leak in your game. Here's what I see wrong w/ what you wrote above:

1) I don't see how accomodating opponents' expectations figures into this. You're trying to get max value out of a good hand here, and if checking is the way to do it, then that's what you should do.

2) Treating KK like 77 just b/c there's an A on the board is throwing $ away, IMO. Do you just automatically assume villain has an A? Why? Yes, KK loses showdown value w/ an A on the board, but it doesn't automatically become worthless.

3) This really is a situation where better hands call/worse hands fold. Why fold out better hands? Why inflate the pot against worse hands? If you're worried about "getting in too deep on the turn and river" taking the c/c line, you're definitely in that much deeper by betting out and getting called or reraised. Do you automatically fold KK on an Axx board if you get minraised? If so, that's super weak-tight. If you call minraises in that spot, you're that much further in than you would be by check-calling.