Limit tourney - family pot

[CardSharpCook]

OK, stars $20 blinds 50/100. You're on the button with AKo and 1200 in chips. You started with 1500, and 20% of the field is gone, so you're a little behind. UTG limps. Everyone and their brother limps in after him. 50 to you. Do you raise or call? Why? I can think of some good arguments for both options. Let's see what you come up with.

CSC

CSC

[DemonDeac]

raise

[CardSharpCook]

[ QUOTE ]
raise

[/ QUOTE ]

What thought process led to this conclusion? I really don't give a [censored] what you think the correct play here is, I want to hear why.

CSC

[DemonDeac]

im more interested in ur reasoning for not raising

[Sam T.]

In LP you are (obviously) going to raise, but given your stack and your position, I can see a call here. My reasoning:

-Your raise isn't going to limit the field, even a little bit.
-It would cost you almost 10% of your stack, and you are probably going to whiff the flop. Then you have the choice of trying to bluff it (for even more of your stack), or check-folding. I suppose you could get tricky, and check-raise any flop, but it's still early to try this play. If the fish have top pair, they aren't going to let it go, even if you show them pocket aces. Unless you are willing to bluff through your entire stack on a Q-high board, raising will not get you much.

-Checking also adds deception if you do connect. You can C-R to make up for the bets you lost by checking the flop, and torch the guy with AQ on the A-high flop.

But as you say, raising wouldn't be wrong either. Just riskier.

My two cents,

Sam