Harrington's Inflection Points

[nortonmalc]

After reading Harrington's books I figured I would try and put my new wisdom to work. However I ran into two inflection point hands that maybe if I had played my usual way, would have helped me stay alive. I'm looking for opinions of anyone else who is familiar with Harrington's books.

First hand is when there are 4 people left in a single table SnG. Blinds are 100/200. I've got ~1600. There is one stack of ~1200 and two over 4000. I'm first to act with A-10 offsuit. I may have usally raised to 400, but based on the inflection point ideas, i pushed all-in. The two big stacks behind me pushed all-in as well with AKo and posket aces. The pocket aces held up knocking the other two of us out. If I had made my normal raise, I would have gotten out of the way and backed into a third place cash, but as it was, I finished out of the money. Should I have been more careful using the inflection point strategies on the bubble, or was that situation just too much of a fluke?

Another hand is one where I had KQ of spadess on a table of about 6. I had 2200 chips with 200/400 blind in second position. I may have typically raised to $800, but I pushed instead. I had the big stack behind me instacall and he had AJo. Two spades hit on the flop, but otherwise it was blanks for both of us and he eventually took down the pot. Two things may have happened if I had just made my original raise. He could have pushed over the top of me, in which case I probably would have folded. If he didn't, I could have pushed with my flush draw on the flop and might have forced him out with his blanks.

Does anyone else see my logic or was that way I played those hands about the only way to play them?

[jadducci]

The first hand I believe pushing is the right move, it is somewhat iffy against 2 big stacks but the odds of running into ak and aces are small enough to make it a profitable move in the long run.

As for the second hand, I don't mind your line, I think it would be much worse if you raise to 800, which is over 1/3 of your stack and then fold to a all in re-raise. Pushing or folding are your only options imo there.

Ive also been adjusting my play based on this theory. For me its been working well but I havent been as unlucky as you.

The first one is a fluke you made the right move ok if you had played it the old way circumstances would have gone your way and you would of cashed in third. However you would have had little chance of finishing any higher than third. The second hand you were corect aswell. You have 2200 and the bb is 400 if you make it eight your committed anyway with only 4xbb left theres no way you should be doubling the bb here or folding if reraised.
I was losing a lot of chips late on by raising the blinds from late postion with a hand like aj and having one of the blinds call then I make a contiuaton bet and he will call with any piece of the flop or any draw. Then Im left with the option for bluffing for all my chips other times I would get reraised and I couldnt call. I think if you employ it over a longer period of time you will find its benefits. I certanly find myself finishing on the bubble or in fifth less frequently.

gl

[johnny005]

Sorry guys I havent read HOH2 yet.
What are inflection points can anyone explain it to me?

[Nicholasp27]

inflection points are nice, but any time u have <10bbs, if u are gonna raise, u should push...u can't raise 1/3 ur stack and then fold, so maximize fe by pushing...

both plays were fine and standard...u ran up against the 15-25% of hands they'd call you with and then lost