2 hands -- are they making a play?

[Matt R.]

Two similar hands where I don't have much, but I believe the situations warrant considering that I'm ahead and the villain is making a move on the pot. Any thoughts on these hands?

Hand #1 -- This is a WSOP Step 2, so only the first 2 get a seat in the step 3 (pretty significant in this case). 3-7 get a Step 1 replay.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t50 (4 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

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

Button (t515)
<font color="#C00000">SB (t4540)</font>
BB (t4070)
<font color="#C00000">Hero (t875)</font>

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t150</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB calls t125, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>.

Flop: (t350) 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 5/images/graemlins/club.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t325</font>, SB calls t400.

Turn: (t1075) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

River: (t1075) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

Final Pot: t1075


Hand #2 -- Just a standard $11 SnG.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

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

Button (t1655)
<font color="#C00000">Hero (t1005)</font>
<font color="#C00000">BB (t3710)</font>
UTG (t710)
MP (t920)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP calls t100, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t300) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t200</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises to t900</font>, MP folds, BB calls t5.

Turn: (t1405) J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

River: (t1405) 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

Final Pot: t1405

[Unparagoned]

In that second hand, why didn't you just push preflop?

[fluorescenthippo]

1 fold preflop

2 push preflop

[Matt R.]

I think I get called more than I'd like at the $10's, I'm not a big favorite over most of the hands MP's limping with, and I could be a big dog ($10's are pretty weak tight so a bigger pair is possible). I think at the time I wanted to see a flop first before risking 10x BB's. I probably would give the hand up on most flops, but I liked how it came 9 high, so I took a stab. That being said, I think pushing's good here, and I would definitely have done it if I only had ~800 or less.

My reasoning postflop was that the raise came from the huge stack, so it looked more like a steal attempt (especially with the raise size) than a value bet. And there was only one overcard to my 6's, and a pretty harmless one at that (so I was less worried about MP). The big stack raised quite a bit preflop as well, and seemed somewhat aggressive.

PS -- I understand most will be commenting that I should have pushed preflop (and I agree to an extent, and I would often do this). But I'm more concerned about my postflop play here.

[Matt R.]

[ QUOTE ]
1 fold preflop

[/ QUOTE ]

Even given the payout structure of top 2 getting a Step 3 seat, and me only having 1/4 the chips of the 2 big stacks? With the stacks as they are, I felt like I needed to be playing really aggressively here, and 22 isn't so bad 4 handed.