How to play AA when short stacked

[Damian UK]

Hi all

MTT satillette to 20K main event, pays first 10, 11 left

I have the smallest stack of all with 6.5K - blinds are 1K/2K - also am on the 5 person table and hand for hand play isn't on so the blinds are coming around quickly (dont know why H4H play isn't on - it normally is)

have AA UTG other players in order

25K
17k (sitting out)
SB 14K
BB 12K

so with AA and needing chips how should I play this? All in and hope to get a caller? call and how someone limps in or reraises? or min raise to build a little value?

I am really unsure about this as I need to maximise it to survive - I will let you know what I did later and have you all critique my play (as you can guess still new to this game!! /images/graemlins/shocked.gif)

cheers all

Damian

[housenuts]

go all-in. the extra 3k will greatly help your stack. i don't think min-raising is really an option because everyone knows you will be playing for your whole stack.

any move other than all-in will also bring about suspicion from other players because you're supposed to be in all-in or fold mode.

[Haiku Answer]

short stack makes you push
hope someone has some cards too
really no choice here

[skoal2k4]

I'd say go all-in. The big stack will probaby try and take a shot at knocking you out with anything that seems reasonable

[Komodo]

I would just call and hope to get as many callers as possible, and go all-in later whatever the flop or turn is. Going all-in is the other option which you can do if you are happy to double up or just pick up the blinds. The rigth move depends a lot what your goal with the tournament is and how your opponents recognize your call.
Matthias

[Go Blue]

Given your particular position and chip count, I think you have to go all in here and hope for a caller. It's also not that unlikely that you will get called since you're short stacked and UTG (so since you're desperate, people can't really put you on a hand like AA). If you don't get called, that's still not bad because now this will pay for your blinds.

If I had a little more than 6.5k, I would consider a stop and go...perhaps raise around 4.5k or 5k, hope to get one caller and push on any flop. However, a raise of less than all in here, would possibly get a couple of callers, who woudln't fold on the flop for another 1.5k, or eveyone might fold altogether because that's a really suspicious looking raise.

So what did you do? How did it work out?

[skoal2k4]

[ QUOTE ]

If I had a little more than 6.5k, I would consider a stop and go...perhaps raise around 4.5k or 5k, hope to get one caller and push on any flop.


[/ QUOTE ]

That's not a stop and go

[Pat Southern]

[ QUOTE ]
I would just call and hope to get as many callers as possible, and go all-in later whatever the flop or turn is. Going all-in is the other option which you can do if you are happy to double up or just pick up the blinds. The rigth move depends a lot what your goal with the tournament is and how your opponents recognize your call.
Matthias

[/ QUOTE ]

How many different goals can he have? Its a satellite tournament with 1 person left on the bubble. This is an easy push, The blinds are going to eat up half your stack within two hands, and its pretty likely you'll get a caller, considering how few chips you have. This is a great opportunity to double up and possibly be able to fold your way to the money, depending on the other stacks.

[Dentist]

I'd just call or mini raise.

Sure it's ghey, and if it steals the blinds, so be it.

yes, this introduces the possibility of getting beaten, but you really desire a double-up... not a blind steal.

this is the perfect hand to make a weird play... many opponents aren't sharp enough to realize what you're doing.

Give the SB or BB a chance to catch enough of a hand so you can double.

[BlackAces]

This is a trivial push. There are three factors at work here:

- You're under the gun, making it look as though you may be desperate, and thus getting someone else to play with lesser cards.
- Your all-in raise is no more than a standard raise at this point, so people may come along with more substandard hands than if you had more chips.
- The blinds represent half your stack, and you'd be more than happy to just take those down.

[Komodo]

"This is a trivial push. There are three factors at work here:

- You're under the gun, making it look as though you may be desperate, and thus getting someone else to play with lesser cards.
- Your all-in raise is no more than a standard raise at this point, so people may come along with more substandard hands than if you had more chips.
- The blinds represent half your stack, and you'd be more than happy to just take those down. "

I find it highly unlikely that the small or big blind is going to risk half their stack this close to money, especially since you dont have to play this hand. The big stack migth play if he has AK or a smaller pocket pair. Blinds are also coming around quickly so the big stack and the sitting out player will have many good chances to take you out later. This is the absolute best hand you will ever get in this tournament, so I wouldnt be happy with just stealing the blinds and survive a few rounds to get 10place or so.

[Damian UK]

thanks all for the comments

seeing AA I went WOW and pushed all in - all but the BB called with J10o and yes a J and 10 hit the board.....

/images/graemlins/frown.gif

afterwards I was convinced I did the right thing - It was just the nagging doubt that if they had all folded it just kept me alive for another round as I get the blinds - when I would need to push again in another 4 hands, thats why I asked whether it was better to just flat call to get a limper and/or reraiser/stealer in to make more cash for me to survive maybe 2 rounds!! LOL

/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

cheers all

Damian

[Komodo]

Bad luck indeed.
Everything went according to plan and he thougth you were bluffing or a doing a desperate all-in with anything.
Im not sure what the heck he was thinking of. JTo is a 45% underdog to any hand with an overcard and a 35-40% underdog to 2 overcards. Is he willing to risk half his stack this close to money at these odds?
There are very bad poker players out there!!!
It would have been tough to fold AA even after the flop if you had just called or "miniraised"

[Pat Southern]

[ QUOTE ]

Im not sure what the heck he was thinking of. JTo is a 45% underdog to any hand with an overcard and a 35-40% underdog to 2 overcards. Is he willing to risk half his stack this close to money at these odds?
There are very bad poker players out there!!!


[/ QUOTE ]

This is actually an easy call. He was getting over 2-1 on his call, and against an UTG push that only has 3BBs, you'll win way more than 1/3 of the time, and his *correct* wide range of calling hands here is what makes a push so neccessary in the first place.

[dogmeat]

If you only get the blinds, you need another quality hand within six more hands...........tough spot. You will probably get a call if you go all in, and I'd rather take those aces heads up.

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[adanthar]

[ QUOTE ]
This is actually an easy call. He was getting over 2-1 on his call, and against an UTG push that only has 3BBs, you'll win way more than 1/3 of the time, and his *correct* wide range of calling hands here is what makes a push so neccessary in the first place.

[/ QUOTE ]

In a satellite that pays 10 with 11 left this is the easiest fold in the history of satellites and it's exactly these type of odds based calls that make the early Steps so damn easy.

[Damian UK]

cheers all for the good advice - I was suprised with the BB call given that half his stack would disappear if he lost.... /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

anyhoo - GREAT experience at wading through a 100+ field to NEARLY get there - getting better at this lark /images/graemlins/ooo.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

mainly due to being here and reading the forum /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

thanks all

Damian

[hurlyburly]

Just call. Everyone hates that. Could get multiple callers or several calls and a push for some more dead money. Check the flop with the intention of CR all-in. At this stage draws are not a factor.

[docknet]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd say go all-in. The big stack will probaby try and take a shot at knocking you out with anything that seems reasonable

[/ QUOTE ]

Or, if you're playing online, anything at all, reasonable or unreasonable. Many, Many players with big stacks seem to think it is their responsibility to call the short stack's allin, no matter what they have. It always amazes me when a big stack calls the small stack with 49o, usually doubling the guy up.

[docknet]

[ QUOTE ]
I would just call and hope to get as many callers as possible, and go all-in later whatever the flop or turn is.

[/ QUOTE ]

This really depends on how short-stacked you are. If somebody is being really aggressive and stealing a lot pots, I would call, hide in the weeds and try to get a raise or two before pushing allin.

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]
This is the absolute best hand you will ever get in this tournament, so I wouldnt be happy with just stealing the blinds and survive a few rounds to get 10place or so.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why not? 10th place is exactly what I want to get in his spot.