Endgame decision

[Harv72b]

The story: I'm not much of a NL/tournament player, but I do like to play the odd SNG as a way to take a break from the grind of limit. Fresh off a reading of Harrington on Hold 'em, I was in the final 3 in a 2-table $20+2 on Party last night. I'd held the chip lead for most of the tournament, but the SB in this hand had gone on a recent surge to build up a big lead. I did feel like I could outplay both opponents, although that's up for some major debate. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Anyway, since gaining the chip lead, the SB had been raising & coming over the top a LOT preflop. When he did go to showdown he always had a solid hand, but he rarely got any callers preflop. I find myself in this situation:

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (3 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

BB (t2037)
Hero (t7285)
SB (t10678)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t1200</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to t3000</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero...?

Do I push &amp; run the risk of being called by a better ace/pocket pair? Do I flat call the re-raise? Or do I fold &amp; wait for the short stack to exit?

[benjdm]

[ QUOTE ]
When he did go to showdown he always had a solid hand, but he rarely got any callers preflop

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you need to look at it from his point of view. If your play indicates a high percentage that you'll fold to his reraise, I could easily shove here. If your play from his point of view is that you have been waiting for a hand to go to the felt against him with and will not fold to him, then fold.

[Maulik]

that should be good enough for a or reraise allin

[microbet]

Soooo many chips.

If he has been reraising a lot, it looks like an easy push.

If you knew he had a pocket pair Tens or lower, you certainly push.

[bluefeet]

I just call....pushing (or calling if that be the case), any A or J on the flop. If you miss your A/J, you're still 2-1 on the short stack (who is under 7BB).

Of course if he does have AK/AQ/AA, you're toast anyway. But with a call/push, it gives you another option - taking down a huge pot if he has 10-10 or the like (my guess), without having to enter a cointoss situation having a firm grasp on 2nd.

[microbet]

I thought about calling.

I think your aggressive opponant with more chips is very likely to bet the flop. I don't mind being put in spots and having to make decisions, but it will take away your FE if he bets enough. I think it is better to have him make a decision here and if he makes the one you don't like (calling) you are still in good shape against his likely range.

[Harv72b]

I pushed preflop. I figured that if he was just making a move or maybe had a small PP, he folds to the push &amp; I take the pot down without worrying about him catching something weird on the flop. If he calls, I'm probably either toast or in a coinflip. If I win that coinflip, I'm sitting pretty with a huge chip lead.

He called &amp; showed AK. Hero exits the tournament, stage left.