Push or Fold here w/A-4

[EasilyFound]

I hate playing baby aces. But I know sometimes you gotta do it. Is this one of them? This is a two-table tourney where the top 4 are ITM. One more piece of info: 2nd hand at this blind level. Thanks for taking the time.

Here's the hand:

PokerStars Game #2910849479: Tournament #14351976, Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2005/10/28 - 00:03:26 (ET)
Table '14351976 1' Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: BABYFACE024 (7230 in chips)
Seat 2: nut-kracker (3925 in chips)
Seat 5: <font color="red"> Hero (1585 in chips) </font>
Seat 7: RickMonday (3505 in chips)
Seat 8: KRAFTYKID (5690 in chips)
Seat 9: potnets (5065 in chips)
BABYFACE024: posts small blind 100
nut-kracker: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
<font color="red"> Dealt to Hero [4h Ad]
</font> Hero: ???????

[tigerite]

Pretty sure this is a fold

[ChrisV]

Good lord, no. Fold.

[EasilyFound]

Man, I'm such a bad player. What is the minimum hand needed to push here?

[tigerite]

Something like AJ+, 88+ for me.. maybe 77 at a push..

[Scuba Chuck]

[ QUOTE ]
Something like AJ+, 88+ for me.. maybe 77 at a push..

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, we did something similar to this exercise yesterday, or day before. Pretty much most pairs is +EV here.

[tigerite]

That's in a standard .5/.3/.2 payout though - here top 4 are ITM and I don't know breakdowns, but I'd have to guess it changes things a little?

When I've not the variables to do the sums I have to go on feel, and AJ+, 77/88+ just "feels" right here..

[SonnyJay]

Unless you have a hand that truly merits a push here (as tigerite and scubachuck are discussing), when you're pushing a weak hand position is usually the most important factor. If it's folded to me in the SB or button and I feel I need to take some blinds, I'm quite comfortable pushing A4 and worse. UTG you really don't want to push a hand this weak, especially since you aren't that desperate yet. I'd much rather push garbage folded to me in the SB or button than push here.

The only time I'd consider pushing here is if I was going to essentially be all in with the blind on the next hand / if the blind was going to kill my folding equity. Neither of these are the case here, so I'd fold.

[EasilyFound]

Thanks to all for your advice.

[pooh74]

[ QUOTE ]
That's in a standard .5/.3/.2 payout though - here top 4 are ITM and I don't know breakdowns, but I'd have to guess it changes things a little?

When I've not the variables to do the sums I have to go on feel, and AJ+, 77/88+ just "feels" right here..

[/ QUOTE ]

I could fold A9 66 here...depends on table. Ill chuck 22-44 here all day. A4o begins a nice new muck pile.

[EasilyFound]

Forgot to mention, sorry 'bout this, but the pot also included and additional $25 per player in antes. Not sure that would change things much, but it does add $150 to the pot and means that your stack dwindles with each hand, not just when the blinds come around.