$5.5 Party 3-table FT AKo decision

3-table tourney, 9 people left top 5 get paid.
Table is generally loose and aggressive. One TAG at the table and he's not in the hand.

Hero is in a tough spot as one of the short stacks, and comes across a first REAL hand in a while.

NL Texas Hold'em Level:6 Blinds (75/150)
Table Three-Table(545349) Table #1 (Real Money)
Seat 8 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 1: UTG( $6678 )
Seat 2: UTG+1( $3797 )
Seat 3: MP1( $2778 )
Seat 5: MP2( $1561 )
Seat 6: MP3 ( $4490 )
Seat 7: CO( $2942 )
Seat 8: Hero(button) ( $1146 )
Seat 9: Sb ( $4574 )
Seat 10: BB( $2034 )
Trny:18317963 Level:6
Blinds (75/150)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ Ah Ks ]
<font color="#666666">UTG folds,</font> <font color="orange">UTG+1 calls [150], </font> <font color="#666666">MP1 folds</font> , <font color="red">MP2 is all-In [1561], </font> <font color="#666666">MP3 folds</font> , <font color="orange">CO calls[1561] </font> .

Hero? . . .
Throw it in and hope to triple up or wait for a better opportunity?

Hero's actual decision had good RESULTS, but still not sure if it was the RIGHT decision.

I think it is a very very easy call considering Hero's stack. It's the final table, so if I am short-stacked looking at AK with two players all-in in front of me - i'll nearly break my mouse with the quick call for a chance to triple up and make some real money.

Lets imagine that Hero has 6000 chips instead of 1000. I would still make this call even though I am comfortable with my stack. If I call 1500 and hit the flop, I could knock out two players. If I call the 1500 and miss, I still have 4500 in chips.

IT'S THE FINAL TABLE BABY!

I think its a pretty easy call. The reason being is that you have no real chance to win. While your hand may not be the best hand to go in with, you really don't have much to lose, if you want to win the tourney that is. I guess you could try to slide in the money, but who does that.

If I call here I would be expecting to lose... I would probably find some of my outs dead (A weaker ace out along with a pocket pair), so I am a 60/40 dog to ~5 outs on 2.2:1 odds. Calling is favorable by the numbers... HOWEVER...

You could also fold here under Harrington's argument that as a short stack does not push when there is action ahead of them. The biggest action here would be the flat call by the CO. He doesn't have a deep enough stack for his call to be inviting others to swarm the initial raiser... his call (instead of a push) is inviting others in because he has the goods...

As Brunson says in SS, one of the powerful features of AK is it is much easier to get away from when the flop comes ugly. Obviously you lose that advantage by committing preflop. 5 blanks later and ur out of the tournament.

Wait for a better opportunity.. the table is still full, so you will get to see a lot of hands even with the steep blinds. You can get it in LATER with a WORSE starting hand that has a BETTER CHANCE TO WIN because of the positional advantage.

I'd actually fold here, but I think it is close. And if your heart wants to call, the pot odds say its okay. Tweak a few numbers and it becomes a call for me pretty quick too.

Good example.

[ QUOTE ]
If I call here I would be expecting to lose... I would probably find some of my outs dead (A weaker ace out along with a pocket pair), so I am a 60/40 dog to ~5 outs on 2.2:1 odds. Calling is favorable by the numbers... HOWEVER...

You could also fold here under Harrington's argument that as a short stack does not push when there is action ahead of them. The biggest action here would be the flat call by the CO. He doesn't have a deep enough stack for his call to be inviting others to swarm the initial raiser... his call (instead of a push) is inviting others in because he has the goods...

As Brunson says in SS, one of the powerful features of AK is it is much easier to get away from when the flop comes ugly. Obviously you lose that advantage by committing preflop. 5 blanks later and ur out of the tournament.

Wait for a better opportunity.. the table is still full, so you will get to see a lot of hands even with the steep blinds. You can get it in LATER with a WORSE starting hand that has a BETTER CHANCE TO WIN because of the positional advantage.

I'd actually fold here, but I think it is close. And if your heart wants to call, the pot odds say its okay. Tweak a few numbers and it becomes a call for me pretty quick too.

Good example.

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But the bigger arguement is that, while if you do shove on another hand with better position against one person, you should also weigh the fact that you will triple up in this hand. Which gives you a significantly better chance to win than just place.

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You could also fold here under Harrington's argument that as a short stack does not push when there is action ahead of them.

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Harrington was referring to marginal or less than marginal hands when you are in the Red Zone. This is not a marginal hand. By that argument you would also be folding QQ or KK.

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Wait for a better opportunity..

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That ain't going to happen with the chip stack we've got.

Easy Call.

1150 left and the blinds are 75/150. M = 5 ( a little more).

You need to catch an Ace or a King to stay alive (even if it's against 1 or 2 opponents) so you don't loose much equity but you win much more chips if you hit.

You NEED CHIPS, this is the perfect hand to do so.

A good feature of going all-in is that even if you miss the flop, you will se the turn and the river.

The only reason you can fold is if you see someone has AA or KK, you don't have the odds to call.

Read the Anthology about small edges.

An ability to open-push is a "better opportunity".

[ QUOTE ]
I think it is a very very easy call considering Hero's stack. It's the final table, so if I am short-stacked looking at AK with two players all-in in front of me - i'll nearly break my mouse with the quick call for a chance to triple up and make some real money.

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Two players in front - and three behind, of which the blinds may or may not have a hand they want to play with, but we know that UTG+1 limped. My overcall would give BETTER pot odds to anyone wanting to over-over-call.

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Lets imagine that Hero has 6000 chips instead of 1000. I would still make this call even though I am comfortable with my stack.

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If Her has 6000 chips - Hero pushes to isolate the Villain and the Caller AND to get the rest of Caller's chips in preflop.

[Scott_Baio]

Another thing that makes this call very easy is the tournmanet buyin. In a higher buyin tourny, people cold calling half their stacks pre flop should set off massive alarm bells. I think you'd still have to call given your stack size, but I'd be much more recluntant if I had an avg stack size, fearing CO has the AA he is representing.

However, at the 5+.5 level, that cold call could mean anything, even your AK being the best hand at the moment.