Party $50+5 Hand Poll Since Everyone Is Doing Them

[heyrocker]

Been trying the Party $50+5 with very mixed results. I am having a very hard time adjusting to the blind structure after so much time at Stars. For a while I would double up and sit back and cruise, but then suddenly its 150/300 and im going down fast. I had been taking the attitude that i would just wait for people to die, but that wasn't working a lot, so i started being more agressive, and hit a run of bad luck. Lots of fourths coming through. So I'm looking at some hands and trying to figure things out, and here's one that I'm kind of questioning.

six left, just started 100/200, you're in the SB with 1200 and A3o. I think I was fourth or fifth in terms of stack size, bottom three were all about the same. BB has you covered by a bit. Folded to you. Do you....

[Tosh]

I don't see any alternative to pushing.

[heyrocker]

Here was my thought process:

Fold: I consider this an acceptable response, although a somewhat weak one considering the circumstance. I have been seeing a lot of fourths and part of the reason i think is trying to "stay out of trouble" and wait for others to die. This, I've decided, has been a mistake.

Complete: I think this is a terrible play. You're burning almost 10% of your stack to see a flop and you can't call a bet or re-raise even if you catch a piece

[b]Minraise: Beats completing, but many players will see it for what it is - a steal - and go over the top on you on principle. Even if not, you're very likely to get called and then you can just see the previous entry.

Raise to 600: This to me was totally unacceptable. You will have to go all in if re-raised anyways, why not make the other guy make the tough decision?

Push: This is what I did. You're 55% against any random hand, and you have a ton of fold equity, because your opponent is unlikely to risk his whole tournament on anything mediocre. That said, you are probably in trouble if he calls.

He called with 66 /images/graemlins/frown.gif

I'm interested in comments on my thought process, especially counter-arguments to any of the points.

[stupidsucker]

PP SNGs are alot about being aggressive and first in.

Luck plays a factor and you have to accept that you will be unlucky as much as lucky. As soon as those blinds are worth it you need to be stealing them with decent hands. The lower your stack the lower the hands can be to steal with.

[eastbay]

The fact that you gave more than two alternatives shows that you don't have the hang of the PP game yet at all.

You're either going to fold or push at this stage of the game, barring something extreme like AA, and probably even then for the camouflage value.

Here, I say push. I'll push with less here, too. In fact, I'll usually be happier to push something like high suited connectors here, since against the range of hands that will usually call, I won't be dominated and may not be behind by all that much. If you get called by something with A3, the chance of domination with a higher A is quite high.

But in this spot, it appears a risk you have to take.

eastbay

[heyrocker]

I only gave all the alternatives for the sake of completeness, I only seriously considered fold or push.

[Jason Strasser]

Push every time and dont think twice about it.