Caught with hand in cookie jar

[Sam T.]

Note that this is Pot Limit due to Party's dorked up NL tournaments. Anyone disagree with this steal and/or laydown? In NL I would have gone all-in before he could reraise.

Party Poker Pot-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (5 handed) converter

saw flop|<font color="C00000">saw showdown</font>

Hero (t1085)
SB (t540)
BB (t3985)
UTG (t690)
MP (t1700)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t350</font>, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="CC3333">BB raises to t1100</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t1500
<font color="green">Main Pot: t750 (t750), won by BB.</font>
<font color="green">Pot 2: t750 (t750), returned to BB.</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
No showdown. BB wins t1500. </font>

[TylerD]

Yeah - I'd never steal with that in a pot limit game against a big stack. In NL going all-in wouldn't be too bad, but not a play I'd make considering you're third in chips and the blinds aren't too high.

[Sam T.]

Agreed that it may have been unwise in pot-limit. I did not adjust to the game.

I tried the steal because I've been trying to get more aggressive on the bubble, and this seemed like a good chance to put some distance between me and fourth place. I would also like to think that in a NL game with a comfortable (though hardly commanding) lead the BB wouldn't want to risk t1000 to defend his blind.

In any case, he showed AKs, so I was in some trouble had I called.

[DrPhysic]

Sam,
Opinion, for what it's worth:

I don't like the attempted steal. You have 10BB stack, you can wait probably at least 3 orbits (maybe 15 hands?) before you reach desperation time. Short of being near to blinded out, I personally do not like an any two card steal. Which is about what your J8o amounts to.

I prefer a semi-bluff steal with A(any), K(any)s, K(any), any two face cards, any suited connector larger than 89, in about that order. That way if the big stack jumps on your bluff steal, you have a reasonable chance of drawing out.

I think your stack is large enough to allow you to be a bit more patient. Wait for a better hand.

Doc

[pzhon]

[ QUOTE ]
In any case, he showed AKs, so I was in some trouble had I called.

[/ QUOTE ]

You need to think about that one a bit more. Calling would risk 735 to gain 1485, 2.02:1, so you almost had the odds to call against AKs. You definitely had the odds to call against ATs or 77. In a SNG, it may be clearly right to fold, but I would avoid this situation by making a slightly smaller raise, or waiting for something better, like QT.

You have to pay attention to the SB's small stack. If the SB pushes and the BB folds, you definitely have the odds to call, even if you make a smaller raise. You will have to show the table your J8o, making it harder for you to steal in the future. So, I prefer betting enough that the SB will be pot-committed if the SB wants to call, but so that you don't leave too many chips behind if the BB pushes.

[mikeyvegas]

It sucks when the big stack is 2 to your left in the later stages of a SNG. Usually when I steal, I try to do it with something that I wouldn't be to upset with going all in with like any A or K.