How do you play this bubble A7s? $55

[pergesu]

I'm just starting to mix a couple $55s. I put this hand in SNGPT and was pretty surprised to see that it was -EV. In a $22, I'm pushing real quick. But here pushing costs me money...according to bones, it's because I've got enough chips to wait for a better hand, I'm not shorty, and I'm not big enough to apply substantial pressure.

The problem is that folding just seems really crappy, and a standard raise invites someone to come over the top, in which case I have to dump it.

So my first question is what do the extra 2k chips in play do to your pushing standards? I guess you can afford to be considerably tighter on the bubble because when you've got 10 BB, often there's still nobody who's on the verge of busting?

Also, assuming you wouldn't push this hand, how would you play it? Fold? Standard raise? If someone pushes over the top, do you call?



***** Hand History for Game 2376700658 *****
200/400 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (NL) (Tournament 14002836) - Sun Jul 17
01:12:59 EDT 2005
Table Table 22361 (Real Money) -- Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 4
Seat 4: pattywack85 (1988)
Seat 6: boppard (1515)
Seat 7: chivo24 (3977)
Seat 10: BariDeb (2520)
boppard posts small blind (100)
chivo24 posts big blind (200)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to pattywack85 [ 7d, Ad ]
BariDeb folds.
pattywack85 raises (1988) to 1988
pattywack85 is all-In.

[durron597]

I fold mostly because the big stack is in the BB and I don't need this pot.

[curtains]

It's a clear push in a "normal" situation. once you are on the bubble its not normal anymore. Be sure to look for specific spots where you have 9x - 10x the BB and have a hand that youd normally push, but the EV you gain from it isnt huge. Once you goto the bubble and stacks are evenish or someone has less than you, this hand now usually becomes a fold.

[pergesu]

Okay so if we're 5+ handed, it's a clear push?

What about it this particular situation makes it a fold? I swapped the blinds (smallie in BB, biggie in SB), and it becomes a much better push. That's because the times I win, I'm ITM, and the times I lose I'm still in (though obviously in really bad shape).

I realize this is probably pretty basic stuff, but I know from experience that if we're in an 800 chip game, it's an easy push, so I was surprised to see it was bad here. There aren't too many times when you've got three players in similar shape at level 6...so I'm just not used to this situation, honestly.

[Nottom]

I'd push here pretty much all the time.

As for the extra 2K chips I think they allow a bit more play in the first couple levels. You can lose a pot and still be ok when maniac times rolls around. More importantly it tends to delay the push-fest another level or so.

edit: NM, I fold ... I thought you were the 1500 stack.