Self-criticism in an effort to get better

[vinyard]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (4 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

Button (t2694)
<font color="#C00000">SB (t1940)</font>
<font color="#C00000">Hero (t2895)</font>
UTG (t2471)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to t1940 (All-In)</font>, Hero calls t1540.

Flop: (t3880) 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Turn: (t3880) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

River: (t3880) 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t3880

In hindsight, I think the call is, at best, dubious. All the players were fairly knowledgeable about stealing. Obviously if I get 88 into an unraised pot I push but the call here is poor and I am going to try to explain to myself why.

What's he pushing with from the big blind here? There is a chance its any two cards and I am not sure (if soembody has a way I can quickly do the math I would appreciate it) whether I still do well enough against those to justify a call. He's not in &lt;3BB range so I doubt he is pushing with any two.

I think its more likely that he was pushing with the following range (and I am being liberal here)

22-AA
Any two Broadways
Ax
K7s+

88 is midway through the pairs so that's a scratch. Any two broadways leave me in a coinflip as does A9+, K9. So basically I am only a favorite against Ax and A8 and K7 and K8.

Crippling myself (I got bounced two hands later) doesn't make much sense in hindsight. I would like to read others thoughts on the call and more importantly, how good this analysis is...

[curtains]

I think it's a clear call. It's always somewhat annoying to call off your money without a huge hand, but your hand is just too strong and their pushing range too wide.

[citanul]

from vinyard's posting history, it seems like he's having a touch of trouble getting some bubble concepts gelling in his head, i was wondering if you curtains could help out here. in particular keeping in mind the raptor hand from a day ago with AJs in a blind facing a push, where it was said that he wouldn't call with less than like JJ or AK, against a random hand (i think that was the line) what causes 88 to be the call here?

citanul

[curtains]

My gut instinct was to call, and when I put it into eastbays program it was a very clear call, even with a relatively tight pushing standard. Blinds are higher in this case, the push is for a smaller amount, so youll have chips left. 88 is also a better hand to have here than AJs, as youll sometimes be up against 2 undercards, and often just one overcard.

Forgive me if Im off on the details, playing a bunch of games right now

[curtains]

Also I think there was a smaller stack in the other example, here everyone is basically even if you fold.

[curtains]

Also vinyard you arent being liberal there. SB should push with most hands here, sometimes 100% of them. Not pushing K2o in the SB would be terrible poker.

I would push with any 2 against most opponents here.