Marginal (?) push hand

[ilya]

It's 7-handed.
The blinds are 50/100.
You're UTG with 650 chips and A9o.

Under what (if any) circumstances do you push?

[ChrisV]

I'd fold. It isn't really that great a hand and my experience is that people love picking off those UTG steals. I've had people call me with AT before.

I'd rather run a steal on the button or cutoff with a random hand than try it with A9 from here.

The only exception is if blinds are up on me next hand. In that instance I'd move in as the blinds will cripple me otherwise.

[patrick dicaprio]

almost never. the problem with Ax steals is that a better ace calls and you are dominated. i think you are better off with suited connectors here than with Ax.

Pat

[ddubois]

The theory goes that since you have an ace, you have increased fold equity by virtue of it being less likely others also have an ace.

It sure doesn't feel that way in practice though.

[deuces09]

I would never push this thing UTG. Button or SB when folded to perhaps (dependant on the scenario) but never UTG.

[Gramps]

If the blinds go up to 100/200 on the next hand, it's a clear push IMO. I don't think it's a bad push period, because of the doubling blind level that's coming up, which is going to leave you very short-stacked very soon.

You're hoping not to get called, but you could get called by an underpair, or a loose call by a worse Ace/KQs, etc.

But I probably have a tendency to overpush if anything, so consider the source...

[deuces09]

I gotta say though, I'd rather push a marginal hand from the BB expecting limpers and min-raisers than praying UTG with A9

From the BB, you can hope to get 4x on your investment, whereas A9 UTG could only get you 2x.

This is a deeper question than I first thought.