AJo raise question

[TheCat]

NLHE onland tournament. The rebuy period is over and we are down to two tables. Six on each table. Top 8 are in the money. I have a medium stack of about 9k. Blinds are 500/1k. I could probably blind my way into the money but I really want to play to build up my stack.
In cutoff position with AJo, I raise to 4k, button and SB fold. BB goes all in with about 7k, folding here is I think out of the question. He turns over AK and beats me. I go out of the tournament shortly afterwards.

I really can’t decide if my bet with AJ was good. On one hand, the gap now is wide and I’m only likely to get called with a very good hand JJ->AA, AK, AQ maybe, so I can steal most pots. Trouble is when they do have such a hand; I’m a big dog and probably out of the tourney just before the money.

[dmk]

I think you're in all-in/fold territory. If you don't feel comfortable pushing your chips w/ it as the first one in, you shouldn't be calling all of them. I'm guessing the raise (which is close to 1/2 your stack, just push if you're going to commit that much) was so you could still back off? If so, then back off. If not, then push it all w/ your initial raise.

[37offsuit]

When you raise half your stack to steal the blinds you're kind of pot committing yourself. The BB is either going to push or fold, so before you make the play, figure out what you're going to do if the push comes and what kind of hand is going to defend their blind in this situation. I think at best you're a minor underdog if called.

Of course there are two ways to play a tourney this close to the bubble with a moderate stack. You either make cashing or winning more important. You made winning more important which is why you made the play that you did and I don't see any other way to make it. 3x's the blind is standard and I think that unless you have a strong read on the BB (like he's tossed the majority of the steal attempts against him and only came back over top with the hands AK, QQ, KK, or AA) then you have to bite the bullet here and call. If I was certain that he had one of those four hands, then I'd probably fold and look for another spot to double up and get back where I was.

[fnurt]

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When you raise half your stack to steal the blinds you're kind of pot committing yourself.

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I agree with this statement except I would remove the words "kind of." Raising half your stack and then folding to a reraise should not be in your arsenal.

Given that you're raising here, and I certainly would, you need to push all-in. Not only are you pot-committed anyway, but you make it 100% clear to the BB that you are not folding this hand. What you'd really like here is just to win the blinds (since it's hard for AJ to be a big favorite over anything), so you can at least avoid giving BB the false hope that you might fold to a reraise.

[TheCat]

Thanks guys, both these post very much appriciated. You've clarified something that was troubling me rather a lot.

[stillachargerfan]

I believe there is another alternative. It may appear as a weak play but doubling the blind is not necessarily a bad play. Everyone else should be playing just as tight as you are at this point so with your caller at 7g's his decesion is going to be all in or fold. It would be a major mistake to just pay 1 g to see the flop. Also if this has been the previous betting pattern a small raise is very suspicious, ie. AA, and can show power.
I agree that you have to call when raised and take comfort in the fact that you were out to win not place in the money.

[cferejohn]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe there is another alternative. It may appear as a weak play but doubling the blind is not necessarily a bad play. Everyone else should be playing just as tight as you are at this point so with your caller at 7g's his decesion is going to be all in or fold. It would be a major mistake to just pay 1 g to see the flop. Also if this has been the previous betting pattern a small raise is very suspicious, ie. AA, and can show power.
I agree that you have to call when raised and take comfort in the fact that you were out to win not place in the money.

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What if they think you are weak and pop you back with a worse ace, KQ, or whatever, and you fold? That would be pretty bad here. I push preflop w/ AJ her 10 times out of 10.

[TwoNiner]

I would go all in here with the blinds at 500-1000, your stack level and opening from the cutoff where people will put you on a lesser holding.

The idea of just doubling the blind would to me be more of a must call any reraise situation hoping to trap someone trying to make a move.. I still think there is to good a possiblilty for a BB call, rag flop, your screwed scenario for that though