2 hands from Stars $3 satellite to $215

[gcDanno]

Top 32 get seat; 33rd $203. 59 remaining. Both hands same player is the open raiser. Every hand I've seen him show down has been a quality hand. I read med+ PP or 2 honors, The round before this one, he min raised, and I pushed with AT and he thought for a while and finally folded.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t4000 (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP2 (t128182)
CO (t61419)
<font color="C00000">Hero (t23262)</font>
SB (t27110)
BB (t69816)
UTG (t51250)
UTG+1 (t48303)
<font color="C00000">MP1 (t49061)</font>

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, <font color="CC3333">MP1 raises to t12200</font>, MP2 folds, CO folds, Hero ???

So is this a fold / call / push? I'm in about 55th place.

What about this one?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t4000 (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

CO (t152382)
<font color="C00000">Hero (t17862)</font>
SB (t23710)
BB (t70016)
UTG (t47450)
UTG+1 (t97922)
<font color="C00000">MP1 (t49261)</font>
MP2 (t50303)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, <font color="CC3333">MP1 raises to t8000</font>, MP2 folds, CO folds, Hero ?????

Again, fold / push / call???

gc

[betgo]

I would push in both cases, because you are getting short stacked and you might as well take a coin toss to double up or bust out.

There is not that much difference between calling and pushing. If you call, the rest of your chips are going in on the flop.

[adanthar]

Both times, if you push, you are getting called thanks to pot odds.

I'd strongly lean towards folding 1 and pushing (or a stop n go) with 2.

[wuwei]

I would likely fold the first and push with the 2nd. The first one, I'd hate to go out on a dominated hand with only twenty places to go until you get your spot in the tourney.

One the 88 hand, there's a pretty damn good chance you're ahead in the hand, your stack has gotten a little smaller, and it's time to make the move.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd strongly lean towards folding 1 and pushing (or a stop n go) with 2.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with that. The first hand, I'd rather open-push with KQ than re-raise all-in or call all-in with it. The range of hands that will call you when you have KQ that you don't want to call you, increases quite a bit I think.

[dmk]

Like most ppl already said, fold 1, push 2.

[betgo]

I don't see why people want to fold 1 and push 2. The only reason I can see is that you are a shorter stack.

I think KQ plays as well allin as 88. 88 is a big underdog to a bigger pair. KQ is only a significant underdog to AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ, all of which are really big hands. KQ is the underdog to a pp or Ax, but not by much.

If no one had bet, I would raise allin with either of these hands from any position with this chip situation.

[adios]

Hopefully this will be a rational analysis. In hand 1 is a fold advised? Depends on how tight the raiser is with his raising requirements. If you decide to play is it better to call or raise? First question about playing does a call make you pot committed on the flop? It depends on what the raiser will do on the flop but in general I don't think you are pot committed. If you miss totally and the raiser sets you all in, the pot would be laying you between 3-1 and 4-1 to catch a card that may or may not give you the best hand. FWIW I think it's close but I think calling is a slightly better play. Your opponent may underbet the best hand giving you a chance to snag the pot for a cheap price or you may be able to steal although I agree that it's a remote possibility. If the dreaded Ace comes you may save yourself for another round.

On hand 2 given the above considerations I'd definitely call and wait to see what the flop brought expecting that I'd have to call most of the time after the flop.

I'm assuming that with both hands your opponent calls your all in bet. I don't think you're close enough to the money to even take into consideration as you're going to have to get more chips to get a seat.

[adanthar]

KQ is actually nearly a 3:2 dog to Ax, a 3:1 dog to most of the bigger stuff he'd raise with, and a small dog to any pair.

88 is a huge favorite over a low pair and a favorite over any two big cards. It's a 4:1 dog to any big pair, but this is actually better than KQ is against kings or aces and close to queens.

Unless he has exactly JJ-99, 88 is a muuuuch better hand to have in this position.

[gcDanno]

Thanks for your responses. I was just checking to how my thought pattern matches those I respect.

The first hand, I really wanted to call or reraise all in. But having done this the previous time around, I suspected he was calling on general principles. Without the fold equity, I thought it better to play on.

No hands for a round, and then the 88. I decided for a stop n go here. I called, and so did the BB.

Flop: 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif T /images/graemlins/spade.gif 6 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

I pushed, and was called by 44 in BB and JJ of Opener. So much for a stop n go! LOL

Turn gave me hope: 7 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

So now any 5, 8 or 9 and I win. But, rivergods must have been on another table, with the 2 /images/graemlins/heart.gif sending me to the showers.

Thanks again!

gc