Right call here?

[Michael C.]

We're at the bubble, and I'm the BB with about 1900 chips after the 400 blind. The SB steals occasionally, but has been fairly tight since we got down to 4. He has 1800 chips, and the small stack has about 1300. The SB raises all in. I have A9. Do I call here?

[ChrisV]

You don't mention whether this is at a level where you start with 1000 chips or 800 chips. I don't think it matters much to the decision. I ran the numbers for an 800-chip tourney and the ICM has it very narrowly a call if I give SB a reasonably tight range of starting hands (any pair, any ace, K8 and up, Q9 and up, JT). I would call because SB is unlikely to be any tighter than this and may well be looser.

[Michael C.]

Chris- This was in a 215, so 1000 chips. I didn't have a read on the player other than what I wrote. I actually think a typical 215 player would play a wider range of hands here. Given that that's your game, would you make that call here? And thanks for the answer.

[ChrisV]

Yeah, I'd call. If I am the SB here I'll be attacking with a wider range of hands than what I gave above. My range will include any king, for starters.

[ChrisV]

Interesting how far superior ATo is here to A9o. Against the range I mentioned above, for example, AT is fully 4% better than A9 (56.266% versus 52.200%). Going up again to AJo only adds another 2.3% or so. I'd always assumed that the fairly strong distinction I felt between A9 and AT was largely psychological, but it looks like it's real.