A9o - do I push here?
 

10+1 Tourney on Party
Blinds at 200/400

Hero has a stack of t5861
I get dealt A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] on two off the button, action is folded around to me. Both blinds have me covered, as does the button.

What's my play here? Push all in? Raise to about t1000? I'm assuming I definitely can't fold here.

Re: A9o - do I push here?
 

Make it 1200 and play from there.

Most definitely do not risk your tournament on this hand for the blinds. That much is clear.

Re: A9o - do I push here?
 

I'm pretty sure I fold this. There are still 4 people left to act and 3 of them can knock you out. You have a good stack in relation to the blinds so don't need to make any moves, and the ~T1000 that you open with here will pay for a couple of orbits in which you will probably get a better hand.

Re: A9o - do I push here?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty sure I fold this. There are still 4 people left to act and 3 of them can knock you out. You have a good stack in relation to the blinds so don't need to make any moves, and the ~T1000 that you open with here will pay for a couple of orbits in which you will probably get a better hand.

[/ QUOTE ]What is the minimum offsuit ace you would raise with here, in that case? Maybe I'm too aggressive taking the blinds, but I would fold anything less than A9. Out of curiousity, are you throwing away AT and AJ here too?

I think his position is too valuable with a decent enough hand to wait for a better hand to not at least attempt at the blind steal.

Re: A9o - do I push here?
 

I think I'd raise with AT and up. I suppose it depends more on how I think the blinds will play. If they have been folding to steals then stealing is clearly OK, but in the past I've got myself stuck in awkward situations that I didn't need to be in.

folding A9 does seem a bit weak.

Re: A9o - do I push here?
 

Also, Hero has 5800, and in the event that the blinds woke up with a hand, Hero doesn't have to gamble just yet. 4600 is >10BB and should be enough to last an orbit or two to make another move on the blinds or to double up.

Re: A9o - do I push here?
 

Raising all in here is, IMO, an absolutely horrible play. You have too many chips to make that raise and you will only get called if u are in really bad shape. Since you are not short stacked I think folding is probably the optimal play. However, u could make a case for a 3X BB raise as well. JUST DON'T GO ALL IN!

Re: A9o - do I push here?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty sure I fold this. There are still 4 people left to act and 3 of them can knock you out. You have a good stack in relation to the blinds so don't need to make any moves, and the ~T1000 that you open with here will pay for a couple of orbits in which you will probably get a better hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I raise a lot worse than A9 here, so I'm definitely raising this hand. As long as there were no baby stacks behind me that I would have to call an all in from, I'm raising almost any 2 here. Sure there are players who can knock you out, but you have to play to build a stack, not to not go broke.

Re: A9o - do I push here?
 

Oh and pushing is just bad. Not necessary, you will only get called if dominated, and you arent so short that you need to make a move soon.

Re: A9o - do I push here?
 

You have 13 1/2 xBB and no ante in mid position. Pushing with an easily dominated hand is very bad. You could open push with a pp here. Raise here if the table or blinds are tight, otherwise fold.