Stars 30+3

scal78 · #1 07-15-2005, 12:57 PM

Last night, Stars 30+3, we're down to 19 people. This is a bubble spot as the money moves up at 18.

I'm about 7th in chip size at about 45000. I'm in the cutoff and it's folded around to me. I have A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. Blinds are 1500/3000, and I raise to 9000. Big blind has more chips than me, and pushes all in. My only read on him is that this is the first time I've seen him make this play.

What's my move here?
a) Call and hope for AQ or worse...or be willing to be in a race with a pocket pair (there's also the possibility that he's protecting his blinds against my "attempted steal," which is what he could be thinking)
b) Fold and look for a better spot. keep in mind, that folding automatically gives me extra money, as someone will lose in the next hand or 2. Is this even a consideration?

Firefly · #2 07-15-2005, 01:08 PM

I'm Calling here. You are afraid of only AA-QQ, and AK. The BB's range against an open raise from the CO is probally something like AA-88, AK-AT, KQ and probally more than this.
If the money is really important to you, you can fold, but i'm playing for the final table and this is a good spot for a double up imho.

blockafor · #3 07-15-2005, 01:08 PM

He is very likely to be making a play on you with a big stack and on the bubble, and he could be putting you on a steal. I'd most likely take the chance and call here since doubling up here gives you a great shot at winning, but before I make this decision I'd like to know how long you've seen him play and how big is his stack (more specific than bigger than yours). The longer he's been quiet and the smaller his stack, the more this decision swings to a fold.

TheTimeIsUp · #4 07-15-2005, 01:10 PM

I think this is a very easy call. At times, I will make this move with any Ace, and pair, etc. And I have seen people do it with much worse.

All you are afraid of is AA, KK, QQ, AK, which I think the odds are very slim. Easy call.

augie00 · #5 07-15-2005, 01:12 PM

I don't think it's as easy of a call as everyone says it is. However, you do not have tons of chips and this is a good spot to put yourself in a good position to take this thing down. Call and pray.

scal78 · #6 07-15-2005, 01:14 PM

[ QUOTE ]
He is very likely to be making a play on you with a big stack and on the bubble, and he could be putting you on a steal. I'd most likely take the chance and call here since doubling up here gives you a great shot at winning, but before I make this decision I'd like to know how long you've seen him play and how big is his stack (more specific than bigger than yours). The longer he's been quiet and the smaller his stack, the more this decision swings to a fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

Blockafor, I would say we have been at the same table at this point for 20+ hands or so. He has been solid and any hand he has shown down has been a winner. I have him pegged as a tight player, but I can't get over the fact that I think he was pushing with a less than premium hand. I'll never know, though, because for the first time in my life I timed out without being able to make a decision. I froze in that spot. Maybe it was weak-tight, but I think i was leaning a little more towards fold and wait for a better, more sure spot since I still had about 15 BBs left. I'm curious, though, if this is a flaw in my game, and this was just too good a hand to fold.

FWIW, I finished 11th when I was in a simliar spot, this time I was the BB. I pushed with A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 10 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] against what looked to be a button steal. He had 66.

blockafor · #7 07-15-2005, 02:50 PM

If you've only seen him for 20+ hands and he's already been playing multiple pots, I'd call. Late in MTT's, players try to take advantage of weak-tight play, therefore, you have to not only pick good spots to be aggressive, but also good spots to call down. I think this would be one of them.