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I just had a hard time giving up on AK...and tried it a few more times...two bad ones...then I had AK and JJ put me all-in pre-flop...he had less chips then me and I called...flopped an A...but then he turned a J.
However in the next 8 hands I had AK 4 times and either called all-ins with them or bet all-ins with them and won every one...all four hands hit....maybe the odds on AK hitting will start to even out for me...if that's the case then watch out...the next year will be fun...because it owes me big time!
It's funny because a few minutes ago I replied to a post "AK The hardest hand to play" and mildly criticized your response of "It belongs in the muck pile". Good to see things are turnin' around for ya =].
look at AK this way... When you're considering only the "meat" of the starting hands:
you've got only a few hands that own you (AA and KK)
a bundle of coin flips that go either way depending on if the Big Slick is suited or not(22-QQ or anothe AK)
and another set of hands you have clearly outmatched (AQ, KQ, AJ, QJ).
I've found the best way to profit off this hand is call or make a small raise pre-flop and hope for something like A 9 3 rainbowed on the flop. Now you either want to make a bet or call the guy with A5, because it's so tough to lay down that Ace or King when you connect on the flop. You can sucker out a lot of money with that kicker assuming they don't connect on 4th or 5th street to make 2-pair. For this reason I'd bet very aggressively throughout the hand unless an obvious straight/flush possibility of present.
That's the problem with AK...you lose too much with them, because you stick around too long and call too high of a bet...we all do it hoping that we are going to score with a hit, where any 2 other cards it is easy to lay down.
And if you ride them to the river...you feel like a real sucker when you lose to pocket 3's and your mad at the player that held in with his pocket threes against a high board and high bets from you when you know that he didn't hit anything....but actually he was miles ahead of you - he had a pair!...and you had rags!
I can't be that pocket three player...but I am not going to be that live or die AK player either...at least not anymore.
If you dont hit with AK on the flop, then its time to get rid of it. You shouldnt be calling bets to the river without hitting. AK is not that hard to throw away if you dont hit. I find the hardest thing with AK is when the flop is A 9 4. Then someone comes out betting hard cause he held a damn A 4. Im always getting beat by an ace rag that hits both. Its crazy. But all in all, I really like big slick. Its been good to me, and is probably my favorite hand to play.
__________________ "I started with nothing. I still have most of it left."
I wouldn't necessarily fold AK if I don't connect. For example, with a pre-flop pot of 200 going 4-way, flop comes
I'm holding:
First to act (BB) opens with a bet of 50 (2x BB), next two players fold leaving only you, I'd consider a call depending on the type of player he appears to be. Even if he's tight, he made a forced bet pre-flop and called another 25 to see the flop. With the optimal position I'd almost certainly call. If I don't improve by the turn with either a heart, an Ace or a King then yeah i'll fold. I might even get to see a free card on the river if he checks.
AK is starting to treat me right! 
