Heads up blinds high

[DJA]

Debating my buddy on this one:

$50 NLH Single Table Tournament. Down to the final 2.

I have an 8300:1700 chip advantage and post T500 on the button. My opponent posts T1000.

I say regardless of what you are dealt you should put the guy all-in here. And regardless of what you are holding you are forced to call. What does everyone else think?

[DannyP]

It only takes him doubling up twice to take a narrow chip lead, but he is in danger of blinding out, so he is going to press the action (or call anything of yours). I don't see the harm in looking at your hole cards and mucking total rags before he can go all in.

If you do muck and the chip count is now 7800:2200 (6800:1700 after the next blinds)he may not feel he has an automatic all in any longer (unless blinds are increasing soon), so you may get to look again before pressing.

There is a section of DS's Tournament book with a theme of "don't turn AK into 72". If you go on automatic with this chip lead thats what it seems you are doing. Ie your chip lead gives you a slight edge in timing..take advantage of it.

[ohkanada]

With 32o, 42o, 43o, 52o, 53o, 62o and 72o I would muck. With all other cards I would raise. And even those cards it is likely close EV depending if there are some hands your opponent would muck.

Ken Poklitar

[DJA]

I made the play with 65o and won against Q8o. I really would do it with 32o. I don't know if this is correct, but I can't see it being really wrong.

[ohkanada]

I suspect it is slightly -EV with the hands I listed but as I stated in my post if the BB would fold any hands, then that likely makes raising with all hands +EV.

Ken Poklitar

[cferejohn]

So that begs the question, if you were the short stack, would you go all-in/call an all-in raise with anything? The answer to the first question is probably the same. If the big stack has even a chance of folding, go all-in. How about calling all in?

[ohkanada]

The BB should call with all hands. Since the pot is 2700 and he needs to add 700. Most hands have better odds than that.

Ken Poklitar

[Greg (FossilMan)]

If there's even a 10% chance he'll fold, raise with anything. If there is no chance he'll fold (and there shouldn't be if he knows what he's doing), then raise with all above-average hands, and call with everything else. If he raises preflop, always call. If he checks preflop and checks the flop, bet with anything, as you now hope there is some chance he'll fold. Also, if he bets into you, you can now correctly fold a few hands (like unimproved 32 and the like).

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[gisborne]

Since it's correct to raise with any hand if there's even a slight chance he'll fold some of his hands, you should raise every hand. There are very few opponents that you have such a good read on that you KNOW they will call with every hand.