All in early with AKo

[Ezcheeze]

Level 1 in 50+5 on Party. We all have about the same size stacks.

I have AKo in SB. 2 EP limpers and 1 LP limper to me I raise to 80 BB min raises to 145 and the 3 limpers call. I push. Comments?

-Ezcheeze

[Greeksquared]

A min raise by the BB is saying he probably atleast has a big pocket pair, AK, or AQ. Alot of people min raise with pocket aces. If you push here get ready to be called and at most have a less than the 50 percent chance of winning. I really dont like going all in with AK early. You might even get called by 2 people. It seems as though you are representing pocket aces by going all in so a good player might lay down all hands less than KK. But, Im going to assume you got called by the aces.

[Ezcheeze]

Here is my reasoning.

After my initial raise, the reriase, and the 3 callers there are 660 chips in the pot. If i fold that is a loss of 80 chips. If i raise and get all in vs. a pair Q's or lower i am about a coin flip in which case I would be favored to win about 220 chips. If i raise and get all in vs. Ax with X<K I am about a 70% favorite yeilding many many chips. If my raise is called in multiple spots with Ax and pair hands I am usually a slight favorite but usually favored to lose the tourny. If i get all in vs. AA or KK im favored to lose most of the time. If my reraise wins me the pot that is spectacular.

My goal with the raise was to win the pot right there or get heads up vs. a pocket pair or worse hand like AQs in which case I am favored to win alot of chips. When the BB raised only the minimum i read this as the type of hand that he would think desires action like big suited cards. It did not feel like he had AA or KK if he had those i felt he would raise more to protect them in this already large pot. I also think he would just call with most pocket pairs and maybe pull this play with JJ or QQ but most likely still raise more with those. I put the 3 limpers on smaller pairs or big suited cards.

I had never played with any of the players before. GIven my reads would anyone just call for fear of a big hand or to reduce the chance of getting eliminated early?

Thanks in advance for the comments.

-Ezcheeze

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]
When the BB raised only the minimum i read this as the type of hand that he would think desires action like big suited cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nonsense. It's a big pair, or the guy's an idiot. Probably the big pair.

eastbay

[Ezcheeze]

eastbay, I understand and know from experience that many of the players in those tournies will min raise with big pairs. However, they do this primarily when the pot is contested by few people. I find that for the most part even the "suckers" will realize in some sense that if the pot has become large and is contested by many players they want to raise big to drive other players out and get more money in the pot with the best hand. They may not be thinking exactly like this but at least on some intuitive level.

-Ezcheeze

[bones]

The min re-raise would set off alarms to me. The purpose of the min raise is probably to keep the betting alive. It's certainly not to steal or isolate you. If it's a good player, he realizes he's going to be out of position for most of the hand, so its very unlikely it's any kind of drawing hand. He probably did it to give someone a chance to move in on the already big pot, which is what he wants. If that's his reasoning, the worst he would have is QQ, MAYBE AK. You won't get that kind of action on hands you dominate. If he calls you, I would think he turns up AA or KK at least 70% of the time.

Or he's an idiot. That's always possible.

[Ezcheeze]

BB called with AcQc
EP1 called with 5h5d
LP called with 7c7d

An unfortunate situation, twodimes has me at about 26% so this was a +chipEV play with the money already in the pot. However i now had a 74% chance of losing the tournament which is exactly what happened when a 5 showed up on the flop.

It seems these party players just don't liked being pushed around.

I was not in fear of a big pair as most of you are. Big suited cards just made so much more sense and by no means did I think BB was a good player (A good player wouldn't min raise in the first place). I think moving all in is +chipEV but not +$EV given that once the pot gets large these players won't fold their pairs/big suited cards.

Thanks for the comments

-Ezcheeze

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]
eastbay, I understand and know from experience that many of the players in those tournies will min raise with big pairs. However, they do this primarily when the pot is contested by few people. I find that for the most part even the "suckers" will realize in some sense that if the pot has become large and is contested by many players they want to raise big to drive other players out and get more money in the pot with the best hand. They may not be thinking exactly like this but at least on some intuitive level.

-Ezcheeze

[/ QUOTE ]

You're thinking too hard. The minraiser wanted to keep people in. He wanted to keep people in because he thinks he has the best hand.

So did he have the big pair or not?

eastbay

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]

I was not in fear of a big pair as most of you are.

[/ QUOTE ]

You should have been, no matter the results this time.

eastbay

[triplc]

I would read the min raise as wanting to get action from one player...you. The other have to call 130 chips to stay in...these must have been pretty loose players for all of them to call the second raise.

I'd probably call the others and see what happens. You have position and can see what flies after the flop.

I'm amazed at the play of the three limpers...any idea what they had, or did your push scare off everyone but the BB...

Personally, I'd have a hard time pushing with AK this early, especially with no read on anyone and a reraise and three other callers.

And if BB had high suited cards and is reraising in EP at level one...then either he or I should stop playing this game... [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

Interesting post...anxious to see the results...

CCC