Is it ever correct.......................
 

Hi good people,

Is it nuts to ever raise my whole stack preflop?

Is it ever correct to go all-in preflop with A-Qs?
I just busted myself in a tourney but to be fair I really did this as a steal attempt cuz this maniac was getting just a bit carried away stealing blinds on a tight table, with most of the table shortstacked and only 3 of us with winning stacks to the intitial buyin amounts I thought why not isolate him and pickup the 350 he had just bet and so with only he and I and 1 other player in this pot I bet it all of course hoping I get him heads up BUT instead the only other player (remember I said 3 of us) with a decent stack calls me with an AK and I was history just like that. Oh my ploy worked in the way of getting his 350 as he dropped. The other player called the blind in front of this guy in a late position but I thought he was just trying to get a piece of the maniac too and why not raise with an AK when you know Maniac is calling?

I cant help to think that I made a terible play now though, we were halfway through the tourney and I didnt have to make the play but I was playing so conservatively up to that point that I had missed a lot of hands like j-q that became a full house because the blind was raised (only double the blind) and I just felt it was "the place" to make a qwik strike, am I nuts to ever raise my whole stack is my real question I guess?

Re: Is it ever correct.......................
 

Why not just make a 3x raise? Then if the maniac pushes, you can call w/a clear conscience, and if someone else pushes, you can fold w/a clear conscience.

Re: Is it ever correct.......................
 

what were the blinds, how much did each player have?

Re: Is it ever correct.......................
 

got QQ and someone on the button raises a third of your stack you push the rest in, no your not nuts.

Re: Is it ever correct.......................
 

I think AQ in the same situation is fine if the person raising is a maniac and obviously theres other times to do it on a bluff etc but you know when those times are.

Re: Is it ever correct.......................
 

The blinds were 100-200 but going to 150-300 the next hand, being I had nothing to really play and the 2 or 3 times I did have opportunity were hands where I was out of position and they ended up getting raised all but one anyway.

We were ( the big 3 on the table) locked with close to 1100 each so there was a little time but its hard when your trying NOT to get put into a situation where you start playing less than premium cards because the clock is ticking ya know?

We were all just under the avg stack amount also but..?? I dunno I think I like the suggestion about the raising it to 3 times the amount but in NL tourneys if your not aggressive it seems you often waste a hand, I thought maybe the maniac would call me with a j-9 or a q-10 or something and I never dreamed this other dude had an AK and didnt raise, I mean not even a small raise to make the hand pay............. what the heck right?

Re: Is it ever correct.......................
 

yes and no is the answer to your question, but it is dependend upon too many factors to go into here.

Let's look at what you wanted to accomplish. You wanted to punish what you thought to be an overly aggressive opponent. Why not reraise him 3 times his betting amount?

This would tell you if he had some kind of real hand and if the other person also came along then you would know that you were up against a serious hand and be able to get away from it.

The problem with going AI to defend your blind is that you leave yourself open to attack by a bigger stack or a monster hand that limped. I don't think that you should ever risk more of your stack than is needed to accomplish what you want, ie. don't go all in on a blind steal if you have a big stack against another big stack, because they could have a hand.

What did your AI bet tell your opponents? Maybe it told them that you were tired of losing your blind and were going AI with any two cards not expecting to be called.

You have to be very careful when you are in a pot against and overly aggressive player when someone else is in the pot. You were successful in getting HU, but with the wrong person.

Don't take it personal when people are stealing your blinds, just lay a trap for them or occasionally call and then come over the top on them when the flop comes, or bet into them a fair amount to see how much they want to risk. Most LAG players will fold if someone shows real aggression post flop if they do not have much. And after the flop you would know the value of your hand.

Just remember that AI takes away all your options from then on. When you make a blind steal at 3BB or 4BB you can get away from your hand if someone comes over the top AI or 6BB or more. Don't fall in love with your hand. Leave yourself options.

The AI was too loose of a move in my book with a third person in the pot. If I had AK and you did that in the same situation I would not hesitate to call you, because I would not put you on AA or KK.

Bottom line is don't risk more than you have to, to get the job done. Only you will know that that amount is from your reads of the table and situation and stack sizes compared to blind levels.

good luck