AQ suited, fold or call?

[hop]

Party NLHE 20+2, 4 handed, blinds 150/300. I am in SB looking at AQ of hearts. UTG folds, button push. He has been doing that a lot and showed 82 suited once. Easy call right?

Problem is: I am 2nd in chips (about 2200 after posting), button has me covered slightly. BB and UTG have around 1800 (after posting BB) and 1200 respectively.

Should I call here?

Result: I called after a long thought. Button turned over 44 and won the pot. Damn! another 4th!

[ddubois]

Would you have posted if you had caught one of your overcards, doubled up, and gone on to use the big stack to win? AQs is a monster 4-handed, especially if the guy is stealing often enough that you think he could be on any ace/any king/any suited.

Speaking of blinds.... What do you guys defend with? I did an all-in steal on the button three-handed with K5o, and the guy called with K6o and busted me. And on another steal when I was in the SB a guy defended with K2o! That seems way overzealous to me! I wasn't even stealing alot, only when it got short-handed and I had to pick it up some. Doesn't defending with K2o or K6o violate the Gap Theory?

[Nemesis]

I don't defend my blind a lot... i just be sure to steal other peoples... if the SB completes i'll raise them a lot to steal it, or if i'm in the SB and it's folded to me i'll steal raise from there... other than that i fold my blinds out to a steal. The gap widens back up when it's short handed because people need less of a hand to raise with. Whereas full table you need a monster hand to call with.

[triplc]

[ QUOTE ]
AQs is a monster 4-handed, especially if the guy is stealing often enough that you think he could be on any ace/any king/any suited.

Speaking of blinds.... What do you guys defend with? I did an all-in steal on the button three-handed with K5o, and the guy called with K6o and busted me. And on another steal when I was in the SB a guy defended with K2o! That seems way overzealous to me! I wasn't even stealing alot, only when it got short-handed and I had to pick it up some. Doesn't defending with K2o or K6o violate the Gap Theory?

[/ QUOTE ]

As for part 1, yes AQs is a very nice hand, but when there are four left, and it's the big stack who's pushed in, I think it's a very tough call. If it were one of the smaller stacks, or if you were already in the money, then go for it. In this situation, I have been burned enough times messing with the big stack to know enough to lay it down. It's a tough laydown, but necessary here I think. Let one of the other guys call him.

As for defending the blind...you are correct to think that defending the blind with K6o, or K2o is a bad move. Any middle pair higher than 5 and you are in trouble, and just about any other hand is at least an even money shot. But defending with weaker hands doesn't violate the Gap Concept as it gets more shorthanded, as people are more apt to raise with weaker hands.

Also, calling an all-in bet is not "defending" your blind. Reraising all-in against a raise is what I would call defending your blind. Calling an all-in bet with a weak holding is called gambling.

Finally, be aware of who you are stealing against. Small stacks and big stacks, calling stations, maniacs...any or all can be tough to steal against. The size of the gap doesn't just depend upon how many players are left...against a pure calling station there is no gap...so beware when trying to steal against them.

Play well,

CCC

[hop]

I am happy rasing with K5o myself but calling an all-in raise from the only guy that could bust me was... I think it's a close decision between folding and calling.

The GAP is the biggest at 4-handed. I figure I need to be 6:4 favorite to have break even $EV calling his raise. AQ suited is border line here if he pushes with typical "push hands" (pair, ace, two big cards). Yes?

[triplc]

Yes...tough call...but those tough calls are where you differentiate yourself between an average and a very good player. Looking at the whole situation...big stack takes the initiative...you have a decent stack...you (it would seem) are the better player...why gamble?

Good point about the gap 4-handed. That does make sense.

Play well,

CCC

[hop]

I called because I thought button might be rasing with weaker hands. I knew I would raise with 98o in his spot. Button probably knew BB and I would have folded ATo in a heart beat. But I had A /images/graemlins/heart.gifQ /images/graemlins/heart.gif... Maybe next time I will toss a coin. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[MushashiAce]

Refering to Sklansky's book on tournament poker, I think this was kinda a poor call. Reason: cause there are a hell of alot a hands that could be slightly behind you, have you slightly beat, or have you real bad. There are thirteen pocket pairs with six ways (besides Aces and Queens) to make each one, plus twelve ways to make A K offsuit, which is more common than getting any pockets and the hand still has you beat bad. Finally, if the person just had high suited connectors, you only have basicalllly 60/40 over him, and for your position you need a sure bet cause A) your stack is not big enough to start making calls like that to knock players out, and B)you could use a stack to buy blinds with in the future, depending on how far you are into the tournament. ALright, nuff said, that's my two cents.

[patrick dicaprio]

if you are second in chips and he has you covered that means he is first. is he going to risk all of his chips and steal with a hand that AQ beats? probably not. i would be very tempted to call here as well, since it gives you a good shot at winning, and I think he made a terrible play pushing with 44.

Pat

[patrick dicaprio]

would you push with 89o or just raise??

Pat

[Bobby Digital]

AQs: 0.602706 against any pair, any ace.

I don't see how his hands could be limited to just that though so I'm calling. My decision may be different depending on how the button views me and I view the other three.