($22): To push or not to push

[45suited]

Anything less than aces, it's an insta-push. But with aces in this spot, am I getting too fancy?

This was the first time SB limped into my BB, so I was afraid that pushing would make him fold pre-flop. This is not a bad beat post... But with aces here, is raising getting too fancy (should I just push pre-flop)?

PartyPoker, Big Blind is t200 (5 handed) Converter on pregopoker.com (http://www.pregopoker.com/hhconv/convert)

UTG (t2420)
CO (t1040)
Button (t1565)
SB (t1840)
Hero (t1135)

Preflop: Hero is in BB with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif
<font color="gray">UTG folds</font>, <font color="gray">CO folds</font>, <font color="gray">Button folds</font>, SB calls t100, <font color="red">Hero raises t300</font>, SB calls t300

Flop: (t1000) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif (2 players)
<font color="red">SB raises t1390 (All-in)</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises t685 (All-in)</font>

Turn: (t2270) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif K/images/graemlins/heart.gif (2 players)


River: (t2270) Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif 7/images/graemlins/spade.gif K/images/graemlins/heart.gif 3/images/graemlins/club.gif (2 players)

Villain (obvious donkey) had 5h8h, hitting his flush. As I said, this is not a bad beat post. I mean, I got him to put his money in with the worst of it, but is there any justification for not pushing pre-flop?

This would be an insta push for me if he had already limped previously into my blind, only to be forced to fold to my push.

this is exactly what happens when you don't push preflop. but take comfort, it won't happen that much

[45suited]

[ QUOTE ]
this is exactly what happens when you don't push preflop. but take comfort, it won't happen that much

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course I felt like I got what I 'deserved', but I knew that the SB was an aggressive, loose (and bad) player and that he would not recognize that I would not make this raise with anything less than a monster. So I took a chance in order to play a big pot.

But you're right, the few times that I've done this, it always seems to kick me right in the nuts.

[jeffraider]

I play it just like you, don't worry about pushing preflop. I mean, you've got AA in position on one opponent, you really want to discourage action here?

[curtains]

are you guys freaking insane? Got what you deserved?? You had AA, you want action and you got it, just as you hoped. Moving allin preflop is totally ridiculous and terrible against some random $22 player. You NEED to get action on this hand, and making the raise amount that you did, makes this likely to occur.

[45suited]

Thanks for the responses... KK would be a push here though, correct?

absolutely push KK.

FWIW, i liked your non-pf push of AA.

[Dr_Jeckyl_00]

I think you played it fine, just bad luck. 80% of the time you have his stack. The only justification for pushing pf MIGHT be if all you have done is push, not pushing might give your hand away... but I think you still need to make a standard raise pf w/ AA. Nicely played.

[curtains]

No I would never push KK!!!!!!!!!! You want action badly headsup with KK, QQ and even with JJ I wouldnt push, although thats at least debatable.

[45suited]

[ QUOTE ]
No I would never push KK!!!!!!!!!! You want action badly headsup with KK, QQ and even with JJ I wouldnt push, although thats at least debatable.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would have thought at these blinds, JJ would be a push for sure. There's 400 in the pot and I've only got 935 left after posting.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but say I raise 300 with KK. Flop comes ace high. With only 635 left, am I committed to calling any flop push? What I'm getting at is, with the stacks this shallow, if you raise with QQ or KK, are you basically all-in on any flop?

[Elektrik]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but say I raise 300 with KK. Flop comes ace high. With only 635 left, am I committed to calling any flop push? What I'm getting at is, with the stacks this shallow, if you raise with QQ or KK, are you basically all-in on any flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. You aren't folding this regardless of the flop. The only reason you're not pushing preflop is to extract more chips.

You got your money in as a 2-1 favorite, when pushing would only have taken his blind.

That he outdrew on you is just bad luck, but I see nothing wrong with how you played this.

I'd only push here against the kind of opponent who'd open-complete with a big pocket pair in order not to scare you off.

[curtains]

Oh I thought the blinds were 50-100 btw. Yes I would push JJ.