88 in the BB.

[nsj]

MTT, about 40 out of 300 left, top 30 pay out.

I'm at about T3600, fairly average stack at this point, and certainly still comfortable. Blinds are 200/400.

Dealt 88 in the BB, folded around to the SB who min raises up to 800. I had been moved to this table about two orbits ago, and had seen nothing out of the ordinary from this player. He also had me covered, at about T6000.

What do you do here? If you believe he is trying to steal my BB, do you go over the top? If so, do you go all-in? Make it T1600 to go, which is basically half my stack? Smooth call and hope for a set? Fold, and wait to get your money in with a better hand?

[adanthar]

You'll flop a set or an overpair something like 20% (I think 77 is an overpair 7-8% of the time, so, around that.) This alone means you can't fold.

However, though you're probably a favorite it's not necessarily by much. This gives you two options: Call and check/fold on a flop with 3 overs (or play back if it seems innocuous enough) or all in now and hope you win the coinflip when you are called. Raising anything less is either going to be called or pot commit you.

I think I'd push simply because 8000 chips is going to put me in position for a final table finish without taking too many more big risks. It'll also fold hands like A9/KT and similar that I don't want to see a flop.

[22suited]

I'd call and go from there on the flop. Worst feeling in the world for me is folding a PP preflop when I could have seen the flop for cheap. Either you're a coinflip or badly beat preflop. The other possibility is Ax lower than 8 in which case you can just look for the A flop.

[nsj]

[ QUOTE ]
Either you're a coinflip or badly beat preflop.

[/ QUOTE ]

See, after the hand I realized exactly that, but my thinking wasn't there initially.

The min. raise had me thinking one of two things. I'm either up against a marginal hand that would like to take down my BB now, which would make a re-raise the best play, to try and get him to fold his coinflip.

The other is that I'm up against a monster, and he's trying to value raise without losing me.

I decided it was the former, because secretly that's what I wanted it to be, and pushed in on him. He called in a nanosecond with QQ, and that was that.

The min. raise screamed strength and I wouldn't listen.

[MLG]

A minraise from the small blind does not scream strength at all. It screams "I have two cards and I want you to fold your BB." With less than 10x you don't have a lot of room to work with. You have to move all-in here, the fact that he had a big hand is just bad luck here. Cards happen, keep making the right play thats whats important.

[pokerstudAA]

I agree - the SB's raise does not scream strength. He could have been just trying to take your blind down here. I think your options here are: 1) push and hope for the fold 2) Call and fold the flop when no 8 hits 3) call and push if no high card comes off 4) fold (not for the min raise - not a real option)

Looking at this point in the tourney I think I call and push if no high card come off. My thought would be that he is on some high cards and if no AKQ comes on the flop I push if he checks.

[betgo]

I push. The SB may very well fold. If you are up against a bigger pair so be it. The SB doesn't have to 99 or better to raise.

I wouldn't say the raise means the SB wants you to fold. The SB could have a big hand. However, the SB is likely to raise with anything but a garbage hand.