Mucking QQ to an all-in re-raise pre-flop

[Magician]

Pokerstars $30 + $3, 2-table sit 'n go.

I'm chip leader with 2,700 chips, it's early (the 15/30 blinds round). We are 8-handed. I'm dealt QQ in the big blind.

One EP limper, then folded to me - I've never seen him before.

I raise to 200 (i.e. another 170 in the pot). EP limper moves in with his 1,500 chips.

I think for a long time then muck.

I put him on AA or KK - but what if he had something like AK, JJ, TT or even 99 or worse?

I really suspected AK and wanted to call but decided not to risk it - muck and I'd still have 2,500 chips and still be in good shape, call and even if I'm a slight favorite I risk crippling my stack.

Questions:

a) If I knew for a fact he had AK (suited or not) - is it right to call? I know it's right from a chips EV standpoint - but is it worth it from a dollar payout EV standpoint? It seems to me additional chips won beyond 2,500 are worth less than the chips lost below 2,500 in these sit 'n goes.

b) Should I have raised less before the flop? By raising to 200 did I make it positive EV for him to move in with a hand like AK?

c) Is it likely I was moved off the winning hand here? I know many players at these sit 'n goes will move in with hands like JJ, TT or even 99 in that situation but at the $30 + $3 buy-in I thought it less likely.

d) He moved in rather than make a small re-raise (which would make me suspect AA or KK) or hefty re-raise (which could of course also easily be AA or KK). Does this imply he didn't want action and hence is it more likely he really did have something like AK or JJ or TT or 99?

[Guy McSucker]

I would muck and not worry about it unless he does it again!

Without more knowledge of the player it is hard to guess whether he has to have a big hand here or is trying to move you off your hand, or he just thinks he has a monster but in fact has only AQ or 99.

Have you been raising a lot? If so he might be putting you to the test. On the other hand, your large raise may have made him think you were likely to call any reraise so he slams in the money with AA.

I would happily fold, take the small loss, and build from there. You're still chip leader. Be happy.

Guy.

[jon_1van]

Fold.

Look at it this way.

This player could have made this move with AA/KK or something much worse than these 2 hands.

If he was playing AA or KK it was a good fold and you have nothing to worry about.

If he was playing something that you beat (like AK/TT/JJ) then this player plays way too wildly. Wait until he shoots himself in the foot. Why risk an AK vs QQ coin flip?

If he isn't an absolutely psycho then you have to be more careful about how to play him later in the SNG.

Jon

P.S. people who go all in very early in SNG are mostly psychos...but if you don't know...don't risk it.

[cferejohn]

I would say a limp re-raise is nearly always AA or KK, though I have seen it with worse pairs. I have rarely if ever seen it with AK (which isn't to say it doesn't happen, but I think you're much more likely to see it with 99 or TT than AK). Given that info, I think you made a tough, but good, fold. I think the raise of 200 is just about right.

Fwiw, in nearly every tournament I've ever done well in, I've had to make a laydown of a big hand somewhere along the way.

As for the 'should you call if you knew he had AK' question. Well, you are about a 55-45 favorite. You've already put some chips in. Personally, I'd be hard pressed not to call here, but I definitely see your point. Sklansky's tournament book starts off discussing how sometimes you must pass up a small advantage to be sure you have chips to bet on a bigger advantage later. This could be one of those situations. Essentially, if you think you are a lot better than the rest of the field, you would fold, wheras if you think you are about even or (especially) if you think you are worse, its an easy call.