Positional Thievery Late in Tourney

[MeanGreenTT]

B&M $45 buy-in MTT, 150 people, top 18 paid. Blinds start at 10/15 and increase every 20 minutes.

We're at 300/600 and I have T3900. I was moved to this table last orbit (200/400) and have not been able to play a hand yet...posted and lost my blinds to heavy aggression. We're only getting 10 hands per level and I'll be 1st up for the next one, 500/1000. There are 3 tables left.

The table folds to me on the Button and before the hand was even dealt I'd decided to pick up the MUCH needed blinds if it was folded to me....both the SB and BB have me covered but not by more than T1000-2000.

Do you poooosh with ANY 2 in this spot or hope for ANYTHING better within the next 7 hands dealt, looking to double up? The upcoming blinds will cripple you and leave ya with next to nothing!

I don't think a "standard raise" to T2000 is appropriate as it's 1/2 your stack and if called, you can't force a player off their hand leaving only T1900 behind....

So...Poooosh or Fold? Thanks!

[DJ Sensei]

I don't think you should be pushing with trash here, but a pretty wide range is push-worthy.

AA-22, AK-A2, KQ-K9, QJ-QT, JT, even suited connectors if you're feeling frisky.

The thing is, your stack is not terribly short YET. If you have a garbage hand, you're better off picking a better one in the next 7 hands.

The only reason to raise but not push is if you actually have a monster hand like AA or KK. A smaller raise could win you some more chips if you get a caller, then push the flop.

Also of consideration is the rest of the field. If there are a good number of other shortstacks, play it more conservatively. If you are far and away the shortest, play aggressively since you need to make a move.

[sirio11]

I think it's better to push instead of the standard raise, because with the standard raise they may apply a stop and go on you.

[MeanGreenTT]

Sirio, I take it you don't like the "pooosh" option and would fold here with the likes of 23o, thanks!

Appreciate the feedback y'all....I've been trying to ratchet up my aggression level mid-tourney to accumulate chips and it's met with success to date, I just need to make sure it's tempered with actual intelligence /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[MeanGreenTT]

I guess I've managed to post yet another uninteresting thread, either that, or I smell..../images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Rekwob]

it all depends on the calling range of the players, if they're very tight, obviously waiting for something like Ax is useless, they're usually not calling and if they do you're dominated anyway, so might as well push with any two, however if you're fairly sure you're getting called you have to be a bit more selective

cards are mostly irrelevant at this stage, pushing 32o on the button is far better than A4o or K7o in MP imo

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So...Poooosh or Fold?

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I agree that it is probably a push or fold scenario, but not with any two. There is no set rule that you absolultely have to steal from the button. What's wrong with letting the blinds slug it out if you pull a weak hand.

I also agree with the other responder in asking "what's the rush?" You are getting another 4 or 5 hands "for free" before you post blinds again. That is a long time when you are pretty close to the money.

So what do you push with and what do you fold with?
Push: most pairs, most aces, bigger suited/offsuit connectors, bigger suited/offsuit 1-gappers, perhaps not much else?
Fold: perhaps everything else?

What are your opponents likely to call with in these situations? This is important because it draws the mental picture of where the line in the sand is for playable and foldable hands. Hard to tell without more info.