Some shortstacked hands

[durron597]

Alright, I've dropped something like 13 buyins in the last 20 or so SnGs. So here's some hands in my last few SnGs that I'm wondering if I played them right.

SnG 1:

Ok 4 handed for a very long time. I raised the guy on my left's blind from the SB twice in 2 orbits and he's got me convinced he's gunning for me. So I've been playing relatively tight but I pulled off one nice bluff. I haven't showdown a hand since I busted the 5th place guy where I pushed short from the button with Q9s and the BB called me with Q5o (he was short too) and won. My stack has been floating between 1.5k and 3k chips since that hand

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (4 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

BB (t4645)
Hero (t2315)
Button (t2895)
SB (t3645)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t2290</font>,

---------------------------

SnG 2:

I managed to avoid going broke with JJ vs. QQ, giving me my stack. Blinds are about to go up to 200/400. Edit: I want to make clear that they will go up before I post again in two hands.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (6 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP (t2510)
Hero (t905)
Button (t3170)
SB (t2450)
BB (t1040)
UTG (t3425)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP raises to t600</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t880</font>,

-----------------------------------

SnG 3:

Villian is pushing a wide range. Blinds are about to go to 200/400 in 1 or 2 hands.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

SB (t1110)
Hero (t2505)
UTG (t3535)
MP (t2120)
Button (t4230)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to t1085</font>, Hero calls t885.

I lost the above hand, two hands later:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP (t2695)
Hero (t1270)
SB (t3285)
BB (t2070)
UTG (t4180)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t1245</font>,

[ChuckNorris]

The first and the last hands are no-brainers to me, and I'm pretty certain that calling with 44 is good, since you should have a pretty substantial +EV here, at least in chips.

But the 33... I don't know. My gut says to muck, but maybe if villain is turboaggressive this is good. Still, you are likely to be behind here, and there are two big stacks and a somewhat short BB left to act after you. Of course it sucks that the blinds are going to double up too. I'm bad at reviewing this kind of "desperation" plays.

[therock]

1 - Standard
2 - Fold
3 - Standard
4 - Standard

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]

2 - Fold

[/ QUOTE ]

You think this is such an obvious fold despite the fact that I will have to face half my stack in the blind in 2 hands?

[ZeroPointMachine]

Can't run the numbers at work, but I don't see calling with 44. You don't need the coinflip here. PP needs to be 77+ for me here. Hands 2 and 4 are standard. Hand one is borderline given your position and "image problems" but I would err on the side of a push.

[therock]

Given my choice of calling or open pushing one of the next two hands, I would prefer to open push. The reason I don't like calling is there are still 3 players to act. Low pockets and A-x type of hands are easily dominated.

After looking at the hand again, I can see a good arguement for calling as well. You really need to double-up before the blinds hit you.

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]
Can't run the numbers at work, but I don't see calling with 44. You don't need the coinflip here.

[/ QUOTE ]

The pot is laying me 1.58:1. Still think it's such an easy fold?

[ZeroPointMachine]

No, it's not an easy fold. But for me it's a fold. I can't risk crippling my FE with 44. I think calling with small pockets and a big stack is a leak. The pot odds are very tempting, but damn....i don't know. I used to auto call this, but after some study I have raised my calling standards quite a bit. Maybe too far? I'll give you 66.

[Nottom]

They all look ok to me.

The 2 pair hands are the only questionable ones, but I think you are basically commited do to stacksize/pot odds considerations.

[fluorescenthippo]

i think they are all calls/pushes.

number 2 is close with the blinds doubling soon. i think that this is a -cEV situation that must be taken. you are not close to the money and folding leaves you only FE for one hand until the blinds go up. SnGPT of course shows this is a fold (range of 44+,A7s+,A9o+,KJs+ for villian) but i believe this is +EV with the factors combined.

id be curious as to what the experienced posters have to say.

[AliasMrJones]

1 and 4 are clear cut.

2 and 3 are trickier. I would make the move in hand 2 with 33 and fold in hand 4.

In hand 2 you are in much worse shape vs. the blinds and need to make a move very quickly. You hope you're a coin flip, but you need to take the coin flip at that point.

In hand 3, you're in much better shape and I don't like the coin flip for half your stack at that point. If you win you are only tied for second and if you lose you switch places with shorty and everyone is working to get you out. When to call the all-in is something I'm working on right now, though. It may be recent results, but I seem to be more willing to wait until next hand and push with J2 than call with 44 now.

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]
SnGPT of course shows this is a fold but i believe this is +EV with the factors combined.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well yeah, I would have folded if the blinds weren't going to go up on me /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]

In hand 3, you're in much better shape and I don't like the coin flip for half your stack at that point. If you win you are only tied for second and if you lose you switch places with shorty and everyone is working to get you out. When to call the all-in is something I'm working on right now, though. It may be recent results, but I seem to be more willing to wait until next hand and push with J2 than call with 44 now.

[/ QUOTE ]

I ran ICM by hand with the following range for the SB:

AA-22, AKs-A2s, KQs-K6s, QJs-Q7s, JTs-J8s, T9s, AKo-A2o, KQo-K7o, QJo-Q8o, JTo-J9o, T9o

$EV fold = 18.24%
$EV call = 19.45%

[durron597]

More thoughts on hand 1:

This is the second SnG I've bubbled in when pushing a medium Ace UTG with around this stack size and got called by a better hand. What is your raising range UTG here?

[therock]

[ QUOTE ]
More thoughts on hand 1:

This is the second SnG I've bubbled in when pushing a medium Ace UTG with around this stack size and got called by a better hand. What is your raising range UTG here?

[/ QUOTE ]

You have already indicated that stealing the BB when you are in the SB is going to be very difficult so you need to open up a bit in this spot. I'd push:

Any Ace
Any PP
K7+, K6s
Q10+, Q9s
J10+
98s+

[durron597]

Is it really correct to push A2o here? Most of the calling range dominates me, unless I have reason to believe the big stack is calling me with KT, QJ etc.

[therock]

I've had a nice roll of getting agressive on the bubble with good results so my thinking may be a little skewed. A couple of steals and you are chip leader. An orbit w/o a steal and you are the small stack getting pushed around. This is the time to go for it, although A2o may be a bit of a stretch.

[ChuckNorris]

[ QUOTE ]

Is it really correct to push A2o here? Most of the calling range dominates me, unless I have reason to believe the big stack is calling me with KT, QJ etc.

[/ QUOTE ]


No way am I pushing A2o here. I draw the line at somewhere around A6-A7, KT, QJ, and I guess any pair is good enough.

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Is it really correct to push A2o here? Most of the calling range dominates me, unless I have reason to believe the big stack is calling me with KT, QJ etc.

[/ QUOTE ]


No way am I pushing A2o here. I draw the line at somewhere around A6-A7, KT, QJ, and I guess any pair is good enough.

[/ QUOTE ]

I busted in another SnG today pushing A5 because of this thread. hm....

[ChuckNorris]

[ QUOTE ]

I busted in another SnG today pushing A5 because of this thread. hm....

[/ QUOTE ]

Just search for curtains' posts /images/graemlins/smile.gif