Two 77 hands up front on a short/mediocre stack

[SoCalPat]

Playing in a SKIP $50 satellite for a seat at the Paradise Masters. I've played one hand in the first hour-plus (AA doubled me up against the fishiest of players), so I'm getting grinded out.

Don't know the exact chip sizes of everyone at the table, but I would say no fewer than 5-6 players at each table have me outchipped.

I've got about 1,800 in chips and the blinds are at 100/200 when I'm dealt 77 in UTG+1. What's your line?

About 15 hands and one table switch later at 100/200/25, I'm dealt the exact same hand. UTG is a short stack (about 900 left) and I've got roughly 3,300. What's your line?

One more thing: There are 15 seats up for grabs here, but we're nowhere near close to that point yet -- probably about 80 players or so left on both of these hands.

[schwza]

at first i said the first hand is a fold, but i did a little quick math and convinced myself it's a push.

as a rough estimate, there are 8 hands to act, each has a ~1/17*1/2 chance to have a higher pair, so the odds are about 1/4.5 or 1/5 that someone has a higher pair. if somebody calls you with AQ, that's bad, but not a disaster. you'll take a 57-43 with dead money out there. the risk is unappealing (esp. in a satelitte), but your only move is going to be all-in until you win one (or steal a lot quickly). also a hand like 88 is not guaranteed to call you.

[schwza]

[ QUOTE ]
About 15 hands and one table switch later at 100/200/25, I'm dealt the exact same hand. UTG is a short stack (about 900 left) and I've got roughly 3,300. What's your line?


[/ QUOTE ]

what's the action to you?

[Elaboration]

Pat,

Hand #1: Push. You might fold a better hand like 88 and *might* get a loose call from 66 depending on who the action is to. Getting it to fold around is optimal, but the better end of a coin flip is ok too.

Hand #2: Your stack is a little healthier here. I think you can limp and then make your decisions based on the subsequent action. Folding seems to tight and you'll regret raising when you get called in two spots and the flop comes down with multiple overcards.

Regards,
E

[SoBeDude]

I'd push in the first spot.

In the second, I'd raise 4x the BB, so make it 800 to go. if a big stack pushes you can get away from it, but you're still likely to take the pot down uncontested.

If someone does push at you, look hard at your pot odds before deciding if you should call or fold.

-Scott

[SoCalPat]

Sorry for getting back to this so late.

I pushed on both. In hand one, I won against an unimproved AQ.

I really wish you guys were with me for hand two, however. Opponent flips over AKs, and the flop comes 766.

I ended up winning a seat. Anyone else in this tournament?