Taking coin flips early on.

[suited_ace]

I've been facing more or less the same situation several times: the flop comes and I know that if my opponent hit the flop, it's a coin flip if I push. For example:

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (6 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG (t3095)
MP (t1760)
CO (t815)
Button (t745)
Hero (t680)
BB (t905)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP calls t50, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls t50, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t200</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP calls t150, Button folds.

Flop: (t500) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

My question is: is it right to push this flop if you're putting Villain on KQ (Hero would be a small favorite, actually) this early in the tournament (let's say from level 1 to 3)?

What are the conditions that make it correct to push the small edge?

[J-Lo]

Push preflop, push on flop. Simple.

[Scuba Chuck]

Given your stacksize, push preflop.

Give your stacksize post flop, push postflop.

[suited_ace]

Yeah, I know my PF play wasn't the best, but I'm not asking for advice on this particular hand, this is just an example. What I'd like to know is if pushing small edges early on is as correct as it is in MTTs, and why.

[J-Lo]

It's pretty whishy washy on the push small edges early on this forum. I think its generally acceptable to push smaller edges the HIGHER u go in terms of buyin. Overall, u have a much bigger edge playing against $5+1 players so you don't have ot take coinflips ealry. Versus $215's where takin small edges is a must if u want to get anywhere. I think eastbay/irieguy can be cited as my source. I could be totally off base, someone correct me if i'm wrong.

[raptor517]

for the record, this isnt really early on. in any case, i couldnt get my chips in faster. holla

[raptor517]

yer right in this case. you have to push almost every edge you can in a 215 to make money. there ARE some pretty god awful players, but in any level of sng, im not NOT getting my chips in on this hand. holla

[the shadow]

As I understand the theory, CEV approximately equals $EV at the start of a large MTT when the blinds are small. CEV increasingly diverges from $EV as the blinds increase. The delta between CEV and $EV is greatest at the bubble.

If so (and anyone correct me if I've got it wrong), it could well be appropriate to take a coin flip at the start of a large MTT, but decline it in the first few levels of a STT, given that blinds increase faster in a STT, especially in a turbo.

That said, if you're playing against players of greater skill, you may be more willing to flip a coin.

FWIW, if you push once every SNG on an even coin flip and are called, you limit your ITM% to 50%. If you frequently push again on another even coin flip where you're covered by a bigger stack and are called or you call a bigger stack's push, you tend to limit your ITM% to 25%.

The Shadow

EDIT: BTW, I don't know if it's +EV, but I push here in a heartbeat.

2d EDIT to add italicized language to clarify my meaning.

[J-Lo]

[ QUOTE ]
FWIW, if you push once every SNG on an even coin flip, you limit your ITM% to 50%. If you frequently push again on another even coin flip where you're covered by a bigger stack, you tend to limit your ITM% to 25%.

The Shadow

[/ QUOTE ]

Just heads up for any noob who reads this. On the bubble, you WANT to be the first to get your money in on these (read: coinflip) situations because u HOPE your oponent folds. This doesn't mean you should be passing up hands where u feel it's a coinflip if you are pushing. However, on the bubble you want to avoid allin calls in coinflip situations-- because u can usually find better oportunities to PUSH. Like always-- there are exceptions, and no i am not an expert.