Calling small stack A-I's with middle pocket pairs.

[Hawkeye27]

Are these pairs big enough to call allin raises from the small stack on the bubble?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Button (t1935)
SB (t1105)
Hero (t1580)
UTG (t1480)
MP (t1900)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to t1105 (All-In)</font>,


Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (4 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Hero (t2220)
BB (t2307)
UTG (t983)
Button (t2490)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif. Hero posts a blind of t300.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG raises to t983 (All-In)</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>,

[Hawkeye27]

bump

[david050173]

I fold the first. If you lose you are pretty much out. On the other hand this is a small blind raise, which could be pretty weak. I think I would rather take my chances by waiting and hoping my blind steals work.

On the second I think about calling. If you were in the BB I would be a lot happier. In the SB I do have a slight fear of the BB coming over the top. I can also see folding and waiting. Part of this will come down to a read on how tight the UTG has been.

[curtains]

I call hand 1 for sure, Chance of dominating is way too high, with the dead money in the pot and +ev based on your hand value, I think this is an easy call. BTW as the SB here, I often push with any 2 because people fold so often. (although I always fold to 2+2ers, so if I raise you it means I have a big hand)


99 is a very easy call it seems, although there is some problem with the converter. But from how it seems, it looks like an automatic call.

[Merlyn22]

1. probably call
2. at least call - maybe push to get BB out

[yellowjack]

Hand 1 - Looks like a call from me. Should be a coin flip, but you might be in the clear here. SB has 3 BBs, and would only wait out til the next orbit in 5 hands to pick and go with something. If I had no general read, I would assume he would be making this play with any pair, two big cards, or any ace.

You are dominated by bigger pairs (88, 99, .. AA), and there's 7*6=42 permutations of them.

Smaller pairs (66, 55, .. 22) = 5*6 = 30

Any ace (AK, AQ, .. A2) = 12*12 = 144.

Any two cards over T -- read-based (KQ, KJ, .. JT) = (3+2+1) *12 = 72.

Total of 42+30+144+72 = 288 hands, and you're dominated only by 14.6% of them. You're dominating A6 and lower, and smaller PPs: (5*12) + 30 = 90 = 31% of his possible hands.

Summmary: 14.6% of those hands you're dominated, 31% of hands you're ahead, 65.4% of hands you're slightly ahead in a coinflip situation.

As for effectively being eliminated in a situation where all stacks are about equal size, I would take this gamble because with these chips you would probably be able to move into 3rd place at least.

---

Hand 2: Easy call. I'm not sure about pushing, but UTG having 3 BBs left is only evidence of him wanting to get HU imo.

Sorry if you found hand 1 very straightforward and standard, I haven't read that many posts here and don't know the standard.

[rachelwxm]

hand 1 call and prepare to dominate sb's hand
hand 2 push. It's right to take a coin flip here. There are not lots of hands that domanate 99.

[curtains]

You arent taking a coin flip here. Shortstack is desperate and will be going allin with many hands that include a 9 or lower.

[david050173]

[ QUOTE ]
Hand 1 -
As for effectively being eliminated in a situation where all stacks are about equal size, I would take this gamble because with these chips you would probably be able to move into 3rd place at least.


[/ QUOTE ]

My thought is even without these chips, I am gettting 3rd place most of the time due to better short handed play. I don't have poker stove on this machine but I am guessing if you put in your pushing range, this is going to be about 50/50 if you win or not. SB pushes are a bit weak so I wouldn't be surprised if his range of hands is even weaker than you suggest (K9s, t9s, t8s) and of course you have to consider there is a 10% chance he is pushing with any 2.