Late stages of PP $11 MTT, play this differently?

[MWC]

PP $11, 543 started, 13 left, 7 at my table. Blinds are 2000/4000, avg. stack is ~42K, I have ~23K.

Folded to me with A4o in the SB, I complete and BB (~75K) checks. Flop is AJ6 rainbow and I push.

Agree/disagree with either decision? My thought process was: On the flop, most hands I was behind other than J6 would've raised me PF, so I figured I'd be happy with either a fold or a call from him.


Results: He called and turned up J3, so indeed I was happy, but the turn was a 3, so I was sad. The 3 on the river to fill him up, while moot, seemed gratuitous. (Not complaining about a bad beat here, just trying to figure out how to play A-small from the SB after doubts crept in overnight.)

[dmk]

Preflop call is pretty weak. With ~6BBs left, and using one of them to call here, you're leaving yourself w/ less and less chips. Just push pre-flop and steal the blind and you'll have another 5 free hands to catch something big.

[VarlosZ]

I'd change both of your plays, actually. Preflop, you should push and hope to take down the blinds. You need chips.

On the flop -- depending on the player, of course -- I'd check it and let the BB take a routine stab at the pot, then push all-in (either on the flop if he bets, or on the turn if he doesn't). He won't put you on an ace, since you didn't raise preflop.

[johnd]

i think you have to push preflop. As far as post flop i would have checked the A but i dont know anything about the player so i looks like you made the right play after all he called you and you where the big favorit. I somtimes will call an A here depending on the pay outs in a 11 buck buy in just becasus i could care less about anything but the top 3 spots...but that makes me greedy not smart. in 50-250 you are playing for real money in the bottom spots so i would almost always push preflop in this spot. based on the idea that calling is the risky play but the one most likey to double u up...Anyone disagree?

[Tosh]

My play would be to push preflop and hope he gives me the blinds so I can wait another round for a hand.

[MWC]

Thanks for the replies. I'm intrigued by the unanimity of the 'push preflop' advice - I think I'd have been more likely to fold and wait for a better hand rather than push. (I'd had a stack between 3xBB and 8xBB for most of the preceding 2 hours, so I wasn't feeling desperate at 6xBB, and there were a couple of shorter stacks than mine at the table.) But in any case, this helps reinforce which half of 'tight' and 'weak' I still need to work on.... /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[AJo Go All In]

all in preflop, barring that check-raise all in on the flop.

[Frodog]

I think everyone is right with the preflop. However if you come across this situation again with a large stack smoothcalling aces isnt a bad play because as it was already said. Your opponent wont put you on an ace becasue an ace would be an automatic raise form teh SB. SO this can be very valuable. But to risky on a short stack.

[cferejohn]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the replies. I'm intrigued by the unanimity of the 'push preflop' advice - I think I'd have been more likely to fold and wait for a better hand rather than push. (I'd had a stack between 3xBB and 8xBB for most of the preceding 2 hours, so I wasn't feeling desperate at 6xBB, and there were a couple of shorter stacks than mine at the table.) But in any case, this helps reinforce which half of 'tight' and 'weak' I still need to work on.... /images/graemlins/smile.gif



[/ QUOTE ]

With less than 10x the BB (indeed about 6x the BB), you need to push small edges here. Folded to you in the SB, A4o figures to be the best hand, so push. Really this is a value bet not a bluff, since you have to figure you are ahead here.