10+1 hand, some advice please..

[kem]

I'm new to SNG's, so any help is appreciated.

3-handed. SB has ~1800 in chips, I have the same, UTG has ~4400. UTG has played a wide variety of hands, pretty loose, fairly aggressive. Blinds are 200-400.

UTG raises pre-flop to 800, SB folds. I'm looking at A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. I debate folding, calling, and pushing. Since I'm first to act on the flop, I decide to call the 400 pre-flop raise with the intention of pushing immediately on about 98% of flops.

Flop comes A9x, one spade, I push my last 800 into the 1800 pot.

So my question is: pre-flop, should I have pushed or folded instead of just calling? UTG was pretty loose, so his raise could mean any two face cards, any pocket pair, any two cards > 8 that are suited, probably even A2-5s, etc.

I also realized afterwards that calling pre-flop with the intention of pushing probably works a lot better when you're at least betting the size of the pot.. here I'm giving him ~3:1 to call me, so he can call with a lot of hands.. What do people think?

[mungpo]

You should be pushing this rather than calling.

[kem]

[ QUOTE ]
You should be pushing this rather than calling.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can you expand a little on this? Is pushing much better than a call+auto-push-on-flop?

[etgryphon]

Well with 3.5xBB after posting the BB. Axs is about the best hand you are going to see because you can only make it through about 6 more hands. You have get all the money in with the guy. If you want to WIN the SnG, you should push PF. If you want a chance to slip into 2nd then you should fold. But, your chip stack is so small that it really doesn't matter if to call PF and push on the flop. It just that if it didn't some Axx then you would be in a tough place to call any bet by the UTG and if you are going to play you need the other two cards to come.

-Gryph

[Pokerscott]

[ QUOTE ]
Well with 3.5xBB after posting the BB. Axs is about the best hand you are going to see because you can only make it through about 6 more hands. You have get all the money in with the guy. If you want to WIN the SnG, you should push PF. If you want a chance to slip into 2nd then you should fold. But, your chip stack is so small that it really doesn't matter if to call PF and push on the flop. It just that if it didn't some Axx then you would be in a tough place to call any bet by the UTG and if you are going to play you need the other two cards to come.

-Gryph

[/ QUOTE ]


With 6 hands to see, your typical best hand to see is something like KQo or ATo. Check out this link for more info on this type of analysis.

Plusses to push:
-you have chips in the pot
-your opponent has been pretty loose
-you have a decent hand

Minuses:
-you are not first in the pot
-you are dominated in many many situations.
-you are risking your tournament life first when another shortstack is around (waiting gives you an extra chance to come in second--namely the other shorty going out first).

On the whole I would probably wait to be first in the pot next time.

Pokerscott

[Phil Van Sexton]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you expand a little on this? Is pushing much better than a call+auto-push-on-flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

You are the SB, so the BB is still to act. What if he pushes behind you? If you push, the BB may well lay down hands that he would've pushed with otherwise. Several of these hands are likely better than A6.

If the big stack is min-raising a lot, I like the pre-flop push also. I want to put a stop to his annoying min raising. I'd be looking to come over the top ASAP and this seems like a good place to do it. The stop-and-go really doesn't send the message quite as effectively.

[kem]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Can you expand a little on this? Is pushing much better than a call+auto-push-on-flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

You are the SB, so the BB is still to act. What if he pushes behind you? If you push, the BB may well lay down hands that he would've pushed with otherwise. Several of these hands are likely better than A6.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am the BB. The SB folded.

[Phil Van Sexton]

So you are saying that I have to actually read the post before responding "push"? I'll try that in the future.

[etgryphon]

OP is the BB...

-Gryph

[BigDave]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you expand a little on this? Is pushing much better than a call+auto-push-on-flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

If your intentions are to put all your chips in 98% of the time, why let your opponent see the flop for free?

Do you think he/she will fold more often to the all-in bet after the flop vs the all-in raise pre flop?