HU pre-flop decision

[schwza]

$10+1 10-player NL sit n go on UB. It's down to HU, blinds 75-150. Hero has 1600 before posting, on SB with K /images/graemlins/spade.gif T /images/graemlins/spade.gif. Villain has 8400. Villain showed some maniac tendancies earlier on but we've only been playing HU for a few hands.

I make it 400 before the flop, and he pushes. I thought for a second and called, figuring I only need to win 3/8 to make the odds in my favor (that's right, right?)

As it turns out, he had A9o, so I'm behind but had the odds to call. Do you think it was the right play to call?

[Phil Van Sexton]

I would have called also. If you fold, he has you out-chipped 8800-1200.

I tend not to think of whether I have "odds to call" in these situations. Odds are that you are going to lose this tournament. You need to get lucky and double-up. That being the case, you might as well do it sooner rather than later before your stack shrinks further.

Better yet, you should have made this decision before betting 400. If you decide that you will call if he re-raises, then there's no reason to raise 400...just raise all-in to begin with and make him do the thinking.

[triplc]

I think, given your stack, you need to call here. KTs vs A9o is not that much of an underdog (A9o about 54% to win the hand), and this is a good hand with many possibities to pull down the best hand.

I think the stack size, and the probability that you are going to win the whole thing with that stack size dicatates that call with this very good heads up hand.

CCC