AKs utg

[MadSci]

nlhe, 10 minute rounds, 4 places paid,8 people left, blinds just reached 800/1600, avg stack is 3750, yours truly has 6600.
I am utg w/ AKh. I call, wanting multi-way pot. <mistake?>
All fold, BB checks (he has apx 3000 chips in reserve). flop is Qh, 8s, 4h. BB checks, I make min bet of 1600, he goes all-in I call, figuring 2 overcards to pair of Queens and nut flush draw. He has Q4, I get bubkis from turn/river.

So, I got greedy, and paid the price. Would any of you played it the same way? Do I really want to look for h.u. all-in, considering I am just short of even with my most probable h.u. opponent, a pocket pair? And isn't it too good a hand to be happy just taking the blinds?

[sam h]

"I call, wanting multi-way pot. <mistake?>"

You have to raise all-in here. You don't want a multiway pot, in fact you don't even want to see a flop. You want the huge blinds.

"Do I really want to look for h.u. all-in, considering I am just short of even with my most probable h.u. opponent, a pocket pair?

Yes. If you get called by an average stack (3750), then you are risking 3750 to win 6150 with the blinds. You may get called by a worse ace, and you will just take the blinds down pretty often.

"isn't it too good a hand to be happy just taking the blinds?"

No.

[Wardfish]

I agree 100% - with the blinds this high it is an AUTOMATIC all-in.

[ohkanada]

"Would any of you played it the same way?"

No. All-in pre-flop. With only 4xBB there are no hands I would limp with.

"And isn't it too good a hand to be happy just taking the blinds?"

Sure looks nice but with blinds and stack sizes you are quite happy winning the blinds.

Ken Poklitar

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Never screw around when you're short, but not terribly short, and it's near the end. If you're going to play, raise. This hand shows exactly why you never want to give the BB a free play when you've got a hand.

al

[Greg (FossilMan)]

With the blinds that high compared to the stack sizes, every one of you should only be considering two options, fold or raise all-in.

Here's some math. If they all fold, you win T2400.

If the big blind calls as a 3:1 dog (which is the best you can hope for), your chip equity is only increased to T2900, and there is a lot of variance associated with it. In the more realistic estimate, you are only a 2:1 favorite, and your equity is then down to T2067, which means you're losing money compared to just taking down the blinds.

Thus, even if you were guaranteed to be a 3:1 favorite, at this stage of the tourney I would rather have the guaranteed T2400 as opposed to the risky T2900, and certainly I'll take the guaranteed T2400 rather than the risky T2067.

Raise all-in, and be glad when they fold. They probably had the pot odds to call, and just didn't know it.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)