3 Left AK

[jadowa]

PP $10 SNG BB 300

I'm on button 1800 chips
SB has 5600 chips
BB has 800 chips

SB has been playing with controlled aggression - Always has at least a playable hand when he is in the pot.

I am dealt A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] and bet t800 hoping to get BB to go all in

SB raises to t2000

BB folds

I have 1000 chips left and would be all in if I call and BB is only left with 300.

Do I call here for a chance at first, or do I fold?

Result in white below:

<font color="white">I fold and the SB shows 22 </font>

[deacsoft]

I call.

[Benholio]

You HAVE to call this, the pot is now 2900 chips and 1000 for you to call. Even if the SB showed you he had pocket kings you have the right odds to call this.

When your stack is 1800, you should never be raising 800 chips, because you are pot committed and have to call any re-raise anyway. The only time this would be remotely good would be if you were trying to trap with a monster or something.

Check out some of the posts in the FAQ about bet sizing, and when to go all-in, it will help make these situations easier. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[stupidsucker]

call.. The only reason I wouldnt push it preflop is to try to get the SB to come over the top of me. He did, now call.

In the future if you dont know how to handle it if this happens, just push preflop. You should always have a plan on what ifs.

[pshreck]

You messed up, and here is how. By not raising all in, you are saying... I don't want to go all in against the chip leader because there is a shorstack.

Your fold makes some sense if there are 4 players left, and you are thinking about getting ITM before taking any coinflips for your tournament life. Your play here is.... atrocious. I always scratch my head when I see this in my SNG's, because it is never good strategy. Hell, if you made the same raise with 23, and folded, it would probably be wrong. You are already ITM, there is not much difference between 2nd and 3rd, but a lot more for first. So.... what in the hell were you doing.... you want second that badly?

[jadowa]

Guess I got slammed hard for this play... This was my first post, so thanks for the suggestions. Next time, I will just push preflop.

The reason I did this is that my general philosophy on SNGs is one place at a time. If there are 4 left, my goal is to make it in top 3. If there is 3 left, my goal is to make it top 2 with a chance at 1. This has worked for me as far as making a good profit.. Over my last 500 SNGs, I am 68% ITM, however I am 28% first, 42% second and 30% third... So this may be an answer to my lack of first places.

However, over the last 100 I have been able to bring my first up to 32% because I have been playing VERY aggressively with a sizable chip lead.

[slickterp]

there's part of the problem. goal should always be to win. here, you have to go through the leader to win, so i go w/ everyone else and go all in preflop.

[rachelwxm]

It is not intuitive, but I think it's a tough call.
According to ICM your equity
Fold 29.2
Allin and win 39.7
therefore, you need to be at least 3:1 favorate to call. Unless sb has King or Ace, you make a good fold.

I would probably flat call here PF hope sb does not make a move on you and if so bb comes along. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[captZEEbo1]

Allin in this situation everytime. If you allin, you have a chance at a weak ace, or even a K to call you, that's ideal. You also might get a low pocket pair to fold (also good). By raising small, you also have to deal with playing the flop too when you don't hit and he pushes. What do you do then? Just allin pf, deal with a loss if he has a monster.

But it sounds like you're doing great overall [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[jon_1van]

I don't think you have to (or should) push first. Just being will in to go all-in quick....he could very well have AQ, AJ which you crush. And it would be HORRIBLE to fold to one of those hands. So I say take a risk that you have a coin flip because you very well might have the leader dominated

The problem with folding is that if 3rd place guy doubles up. You are in a crap shoot for 2nd with a small chance at 1st.

So folding leaves you the smallest chance to get 1st. And a slightly better chance to get 2nd over 3rd. (i's guess something like 15%, 60%, 25%)

But going all in once you get poped back gives you a much better chance to get 1st and 3rd...harder to get 2nd. (i'd guess something like 35%, 30%, 35%)

While I'm completely making up these numbers....they probably aren't too bad