Level 1, AKs. Push here?

David04 · #1 04-22-2005, 03:06 PM

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter

BB (t785)
UTG (t695)
UTG+1 (t680)
UTG+2 (t785)
MP1 (t800)
MP2 (t705)
Hero (t775)
CO (t680)
Button (t1310)
SB (t785)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
1 fold, UTG+1 calls t15, 1 fold, MP1 raises to t50, MP2 calls t50, Hero raises to [t775] , 4 folds, UTG+1 calls [t665] t15, MP1 folds, MP2 folds.

Final Pot: t1485

I pushed PF, hoping to take the pot right there. If I get called, it will likely be a hand like AQ or KJ. So if I get called, it's not terrible. Is my play okay here?

Vee Quiva · #2 04-22-2005, 03:18 PM

Not a good move. All you have is Ace high. Why risk elimination with Ace high to win 140 chips? You can make that with a blind steal 4 rounds from now.

Also the only hands that will call you are pocket pairs. Probably just AA and KK but I've seen crazier at the $11's all the way down to 77.

spentrent · #3 04-22-2005, 03:21 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Also the only hands that will call you are pocket pairs.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree. In the 11s I see AT+|KT+|22+ making these calls all the time in level 1. I would consider the 77 caller bordering on relative sanity. RELATIVE sanity, not real sanity [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img].

EDIT: Maybe even Ax.

hummusx · #4 04-22-2005, 03:23 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Not a good move. All you have is Ace high. Why risk elimination with Ace high to win 140 chips? You can make that with a blind steal 4 rounds from now.

Also the only hands that will call you are pocket pairs. Probably just AA and KK but I've seen crazier at the $11's all the way down to 77.

[/ QUOTE ]

While I agree that the pot was way too small here (raise to 200), I completely disagree that pocket pairs are the only hands that will call here. I've been all-in PF in 22s with other people holding AQ, AJ, A9o!!, KQ. Yesterday I was raised and reraised by someone with K8o. I kid you not. I had AK and when the flop came Kxx, he pushed and I doubled up. This is in the 22s.

To the original poster, I'm not sure why you think that most of the time you will be against AQ or KJ. These may be potential holdings, but AA-99, AK-A9, and a few other hands are definite possibilites. Honestly I don't mind getting my chips in the pot with AKs at this level of play, but I'm not going to just shove them in when the previous person only put 50 in. Make a reasonable raise and play it from there.

David04 · #5 04-22-2005, 03:27 PM

[ QUOTE ]
To the original poster, I'm not sure why you think that most of the time you will be against AQ or KJ. These may be potential holdings, but AA-99, AK-A9, and a few other hands are definite possibilites. Honestly I don't mind getting my chips in the pot with AKs at this level of play, but I'm not going to just shove them in when the previous person only put 50 in. Make a reasonable raise and play it from there.

[/ QUOTE ]
I didn't mean exactly AQ or KJ, I just meant that I would likely be called by a hand that I dominated, which would obviously leave me in a good spot.

spentrent · #6 04-22-2005, 03:29 PM

AKs with position is a great hand that I think wants to see a flop this early with this action in front of you. I'd consider pushing but I agree with Vee Quiva that a pair will call you and it's likely there's pair with a raise and a cold call in front.

I would make it 100-150 to buy the button and push if the flop hits me.

For the ~60% of the time the flop misses, you can fold and still have a reasonable stack to stay alive.

jcm4ccc · #7 04-22-2005, 03:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I pushed PF, hoping to take the pot right there

[/ QUOTE ]

That is the wrong reason to push this PF. You likely have the best hand. There aren't that many chips in the pot, and you can accumulate more chips usually by reraising than by pushing and having everybody fold. If you are pushing, you are sacrificing a few chips on the hope that you will get called by a hand that you dominate. At a $10 + $1, that might be a worthwhile risk.

[ QUOTE ]
If I get called, it will likely be a hand like AQ or KJ.

[/ QUOTE ] Maybe AQ. KJ is doubtful. In my experience, pocket pairs are more likely to call this than AQ or AJ.

jcm4ccc · #8 04-22-2005, 03:33 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I would make it 100-150 to buy the button and push if the flop hits me.

For the ~60% of the time the flop misses, you can fold and still have a reasonable stack to stay alive.

[/ QUOTE ]

If I get one caller, I'm going to bet about 3/4 of the pot when the flop misses me. If I get two callers, I would probably check/fold if the flop misses me.

hummusx · #9 04-22-2005, 03:36 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't mean exactly AQ or KJ, I just meant that I would likely be called by a hand that I dominated, which would obviously leave me in a good spot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, my main point is that you are not correct in your assumptions that you would 'likely' be called by a hand that you dominated. I think it's at LEAST equally likely to be up against a hand where you are on the wrong side of a coin flip, and of course you will be called by anyone with AA/KK.

spentrent · #10 04-22-2005, 03:40 PM

[ QUOTE ]
AKs with position is a great hand that I think wants to see a flop this early with this action in front of you. I'd consider pushing but I agree with Vee Quiva that a pair will call you and it's likely there's pair with a raise and a cold call in front.

I would make it 100-150 to buy the button and push if the flop hits me.

For the ~60% of the time the flop misses, you can fold and still have a reasonable stack to stay alive.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, I am waiting for Adanthar to slap some sense into us and say "YES, push, FE + perhaps being called by 22-QQ|AT+ is worth the edge you're getting from this pot this early in the tournament."