Half measures and short stacks (don't try this at home)

[CardSharpCook]

FTP 100 tourney. 50 of 70 remain. Blinds are much too high at this stage of the game, FTP doesn't provide the best structure. On to the hand -

I'm short stacked at 1K chips (avg is probably 2800, so not so bad, but relative to the blinds....) Pick up KJo in the SB. Blinds are 30/60. Action folded to me. I make it 150 to go. BB calls. Flop is A96r. I pull the trigger, "all-in". Thoughts?

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[MLG]

well, you're risking 900 to win 300, so you better get a fold a lot, which your probably will. The main problem with this play, is how it jives with your style. You love to milk everything you can out of top pair and worse hands. Nothing wrong with that, but it generally results in check calling a lot on the flop. You have to be careful that you are making bets like this sometimes when you actually have hands if you are going to do it when you dont have a hand.

Also, if I wanted to bluff at this pot, I'd make a normal bet, and then follow up all-in on the turn. two reasons, 1 if your opponent has a hand you might find out about it now when you get raised and then you can fold. 2. It gives your opponent two chances to fold.

[CardSharpCook]

[ QUOTE ]
wThe main problem with this play, is how it jives with your style. You love to milk everything you can out of top pair and worse hands. Nothing wrong with that, but it generally results in check calling a lot on the flop. You have to be careful that you are making bets like this sometimes when you actually have hands if you are going to do it when you dont have a hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll address this first, leave my thoughts on the hand for later. This is SO very true. If anyone ever took the time to analyze my betting patterns... well, they wouldn't discover much, my bets tend to be very structured. However, there is a big tell when I go all in. I would say that 80% of the time that I bet all-in, I'm doing so on a bluff. The rare times this is not so, I'm up against a player I feel is going to pay me off, so there is no need to keep it cheap. I am aware that this is a possible flaw in my game that I may have to change at some point.

CSC