Help with a couple hands

[1C5]

Party $11.
Hand 1: Raiser has been very loose and raised many time before this.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

BB (t1115)
UTG (t1835)
UTG+1 (t880)
MP1 (t1065)
Hero (t815)
CO (t1540)
Button (t605)
SB (t145)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 raises to t225</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero ?



Hand 2: Not too sure about this with my small stack. What to do? Call and hope no one has an ace or fold and hope to double up later as I have no FE left?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (7 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP2 (t965)
CO (t1935)
Button (t2450)
SB (t215)
Hero (t590)
UTG (t1040)
MP1 (t805)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to t400</font>, SB calls t115 (All-In), <font color="#CC3333">Hero?

[shoeman]

Hand 1 - I think you answered your own question. Against a loose raiser, I would push this.

Hand 2 - I think you have to push this too. You only really only need to beat the button here and he could easily be trying to steal/bully your blinds.

[fortextreme]

You said the raiser has been loose. I think you have to push in here with Ad Qd. You could pick up the pot right here and there is a good chance you hold the best hand. If the blinds are going to raise to 100/200 by the time you get the big blind this push is even eaiser. If the raiser is loose he will bet the flop forcing you to fold if you miss, maybe with the best hand, so a call is out.

In the second hand if you fold you're left with less than 2 BBs. The button is a big stack and could easily be bullying you with K or even Q high or a small pair. I think you have to push in here and hope you have the best. It also sounds like you're a fairly tight player so the button maybe taking advantage of that.

[Phil Van Sexton]

Hand 1 is probably a push. I wouldn't think less of you if you folded, especially if you thought UTG+1 would definately call. There's 375 in the pot now, and it would be nice if you could take it down with a push. If he calls, you're survival is probably even money, which isn't terrible.

Hand 2 is an easy call followed by a push on any flop.

[1C5]

Thanks for the help guys. Phil, in #2, why call and then push instead of simply push? Any difference between the 2?

[Phil Van Sexton]

[ QUOTE ]
why call and then push instead of simply push? Any difference between the 2?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's the standard move referred to as Stop-and-go. If you push pre-flop, he's going to call no matter what. If you wait until the flop, there's a chance he'll fold to your bet. Any chance of him folding is better than nothing.

Say he has 66. He certainly ain't folding for 190 more pre-flop. If the flop comes, KQJ and you bet you 190....he might fold his 66 and save your skin.

Obviously, you need to act 1st on the flop to do this.

Whenever you think you have little folding equity pre-flop from the BB, you should stop-and-go.

It is especially effective when you have a pair. Let's say you have T800 and 77 in the BB. He raises to 400. He probably has overcards to your pair and it's a coin flip. However, it's only a coin flip if he gets to see 5 cards to try to pair his hand.

If you call pre-flop then push on the flop, he only gets to see 3 cards before he has to make a decision. If he flopped a pair, you were going to lose anyway. If the flopped missed him, he probably won't call 400 with only Ace-high and you win. If he never gets to see the last 2 cards, your chances of winning with 77 are much higher.

[1C5]

Makes sense. Thanks, will be sure to add it to my game.

[TheCat]

I'd never really considered that. I usually just push in these situations. That's great advice, thanks.