Pushing at limpers with AJ

[betgo]

Paradise low buyin tournament. Blinds 75/150. There are two limpers to me (Limping is common at this stage. 525 in the pot.) in sixth position with T2000 and AJo. I push. Is that the right move?

[2005]

looks good to me, I'd do the same.

Gavin

[MLG]

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looks good to me, I'd do the same.


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[invisibleleadsoup]

surprised to see more experienced posters agreeing with this...
i don't think its a terrible move,but in seat six there's still half the table left to act
alright you probably have the best hand,but anyone behind you could have you dominated,plus one of the limpers could be limping hoping for a reraise (admittedly much less likely)
you've 12 big blinds,would you not be better off waiting for a better spot,even a worse hand from a later position?
i just don't like pushing and hoping you have the best hand...

[tiger7210]

I'm going to the felt with this hand behind 2 limpers with either of 2 lines.

1. Push

2. Raise to 950 ( 1/2 your stack committing you to the pot) which sometimes this raise can add some deception looking like a big pair who doesn't mind a caller. The raise may get AQ to fold as well as small to mid pairs who may call your push figuring its a race.

Even if a the flop comes Kxx your push on the flop may get middle pairs to laydown for another 1100 chips giving you credit for the K or a bigger pair.

[A_PLUS]

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surprised to see more experienced posters agreeing with this...

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Keep in mind that this it is a Paradise MTT. You NEED to accumulate chips in a hurry.

What are the bad scenarios?
-One of the limpers has JJ-AA.
-Someone behind you has JJ-AA AQ-AK.

Slightly +EV situations
-Someone calls with PP 22-TT

Large +EV
-Everyone folds
-Someone calls with AT, KJ, etc.

If you look at the % of times, you think each will happen, you will see this is +EV. Risky, no doubt, but +EV, IMO

[betgo]

Yeh, I thought there was enough in the pot that it was worth pushing at. If you open raise, you are stealing a 225 pot rather than a 525 pot. CO called with AQo, which made me question the move, but oh well.

[JonLines]

It was unfortunate to be up against AQ, but it shows you why Tigers 2nd move might be good. Say you raised to 950 and he calls, if the flop has no A or Q, your insta-push could take the pot down.

[TUrik]

I'm not sure i agree with your second option.
First of all if you get reraised by someone you would know that most of the times you are sitting against a dominating hand so you do not like to call.
Secondly i do not think that a middlepair will call your raise, he will fold or go allin(these are the only hands you like to see when you are pushed).

So if you make a big raise i think you have to go allin and not make yourself pot commited. I would make a raise to 600 and fold on a reraise. Anyone agrees with this?

[tiger7210]

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I'm not sure i agree with your second option.
First of all if you get reraised by someone you would know that most of the times you are sitting against a dominating hand so you do not like to call.
Secondly i do not think that a middlepair will call your raise, he will fold or go allin(these are the only hands you like to see when you are pushed).

So if you make a big raise i think you have to go allin and not make yourself pot commited. I would make a raise to 600 and fold on a reraise. Anyone agrees with this?

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You're missing the point. The decision here is that we have a short stack but not desparate yet. We need to pick up some chips. Is this the spot to make a move?

Behind 2 limpers and a stack of 2000 you can't raise and fold to a reraise. How do you justify putting 30% of your chips in and then folding leaving you with 7 BB's.

Part 2 I don't mind if a middle pair doesn't call my raise I'm happy picking up the blinds and dead money without seeing the flop. If he goes all in well that's ok too cause at this point I will take a race to double up.

Last point, especially in low buy ins, just because i get reraised doesn't always mean I am dominated as I've seen people with AJ come over the top of me after I already reraised someone else. If they do have me dominated then so be it I made my decision before I put 1 chip in that all my chips were going in the middle here. If I win, great I can play poker with a good stack. If I lose its on to the next tourny but I can't sit around waiting for AA's to fall in my lap.

[bruce]

I either push or fold.

If it's a loosey goosey table your push might get you one or
two callers and who knows what happens. The more I thing about
it pushing is nothing more than gambling and not knowing if you
are the sucker or not.

You do have enough chips to make a move when you will be the first one to raise.

Bruce

[fnord_too]

That looks exactly right to me.