$55, Level 5 - shortstacked

[Scuba Chuck]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

SB (t2395)
Hero (t920)
UTG (t3096)
MP (t2209)
Button (t1380)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to t2395 (All-In)</font>, Hero .......

[sng-sam]

Scuba:

Your choices are worded so well. Neither is an option that makes you feel warm an fuzzy. Since you are 5 handed and the only player that looks like they are going anywhere is the button I think you may have to make your move here. It sucks...BAD...but at least it's an ace. You are probably going to get 5th here no matter what. You will soon lose all fold equity. So....I say call and hate it. (those xxxxers at Party Poker have xxxxed you again) This xxit is rigged.

SAM

P.S. This is just my opinion. It will likely be attacked by others *ahem* you know who you are..many including yourself have more experience than me. Just my .02

[gumpzilla]

A2 is a pretty awful hand to be put in this position with. What range are you putting SB on for his push? If it's any two, then I think ICM will tell you that this is a call, but it's not a terribly easy call. And as soon as you tighten his range, there are going to be many, many times that you're looking at three outs. Perhaps it's not that bad, because when you're up against A4 or A5 there's an excellent chance that the kickers won't play.

So, if I think this guy pushes any two, I probably call, but I'm not assuming that unless I've got some evidence to think otherwise, and so I fold here, but it's pretty close.

[microbet]

ICM really hates this call if he is at all relunctant to do this. Put him on 22+, A2+, KT+, QT+ and it is very bad.

I was just playing with ranges to try and find $0 EV and A2+, K3+, QT+, JT+ is pretty close.

But, if you put him on any two you are picking up over $9 with this call.

[I promise I'll stop this rash wierd range of hand posts. I just got Eastbay's program and have been playing.]

I don't know. You are pretty good at picking these borderline cases. Looking at the stacks I think he will be wanting to steal blinds and it is probably a good call, at least if he has shown any aggression. I get feeling pretty gutsy when I'm in last place with 5 people left and less than 5 BBs.

[pooh74]

f it....im calling and loving it.

[LeVoodoo]

I probably fold and hope i'm given the opportunity to push any two in the next 3-4 hands.
I play 10's and 20's though, where it's much more likely to be folded to me in one of the next hands.

[Freudian]

I am 50/50 here. If I get any feeling that he is trying to pick up the blinds by bullying I think I have to call.

And no matter what you need to catch a break here. It makes as much sense to say "I call and hope I am lucky that the guy didn't get an ace preflop" as to say "I call and hope to get lucky after the flop". Sooner rather than later you have to pick a spot and hope for the best as the shortstack here.

I think in the very long run (assuming you play the same people often enough) being known as a guy that defends his BB with something like A2 with more than 3 BB is pretty useful.

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]

It makes as much sense to say "I call and hope I am lucky that the guy didn't get an ace preflop" as to say "I call and hope to get lucky after the flop".

[/ QUOTE ]

And many times it makes even more sense to say "I fold and get my 3-3.5 BBs in sometime in the next three hands."

[Freudian]

[ QUOTE ]

And many times it makes even more sense to say "I fold and get my 3-3.5 BBs in sometime in the next three hands."

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course. You have to make some kind of guess about how SB plays. But for me (as SB) it is the perfect steal opportunity against solid players. I often push any two here simply because BB will have enough chips to fold a lot of hands here and take his chances later on. If he has a few hundred less he will call with a much wider range and if he has a few hundred more I have to stop and think about the damage a call with a good hand does to me.

Anyway, like most poker decisions this one depends.

[Scuba Chuck]

[ QUOTE ]
You are pretty good at picking these borderline cases

[/ QUOTE ]

These are the ones that are most intereresting. Furthermore, we're all (I assume) looking for those small edges to increase ROI.

FWIW, I think villains' hand range here is very wide. I think you can use any A, any pair, any two broadway cards, Q8, J9. It's interesting to see how many posters say to fold because you can push any two later. This is the reason why I think villain's range is so high, as there are just so many people who fold here.

I'm posting the results in white here, if anyone wants to see, as it is interesting to figure out hand ranges:
<font color="white"> villain had 44 </font>