Party Step 5

[adanthar]

I don't have a read on Tex, but I have enough hands on Swift to know that she isn't reraising with trash.

I don't think folding KK is right but I don't think folding QQ is wrong, or at least not very wrong.

[Gigabet]

I don't know how your poker software works, but there is a big difference between "not reraising with trash" and reraising with the very best. Good players will never reraise with trash, and will only reraise with the very best when they are certain they are getting called. Especially with people behind them yet to act.

[adanthar]

I meant that rhetorically. I put her on the same hands you do minus AQ because I don't even think she's *that* loose around the bubble.

[The Yugoslavian]

Dali,

So what's your move and why (namely, why does the other move make you shudder)?

This seems quite close given my guess as to STEP 5 play (and possible range of hands) but then again I've only watched a couple and never participated.

Apparently Giga doesn't think it's close and I'm willing to agree given his analysis.

Anyway, I'd be (and I'm sure others would be too) delighted to hear your thoughts. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Yugoslav

[Hotchile]

First, just before I get to the results, I agree with gigabet here. I think that fold was the only real option. It didn't really matter who won this hand, my worst position was going to be 2nd in chips with 2 or even 3 weaker stacks behinds me all forced to protect themselves from busting. I could steal at will.

I also do not agree that the range of hands in a party step 5 tournament is as vast as many would believe. In a $55 sng, I push without a second thought because the range can be extremely wide. Nearing the bubble in a step 5, that range tightens up considerably. Unless a player has offerred proof that they will push with a wide range, I think you have to make the assumption that a push near the bubble is one of 5 hands.

Ok. The results. I made the mistake of overpushing here. At the time, I was going for the glory of having a huge stack and then dominating the field. My thinking was flawed though. I could have dominated the field with the stack that I had and one big stack to my right.

The reraiser showed me, to no surpise, AA and I was crippled. Two hands later, I was UTG with AK, pushed my 700 against the same two players. One called with AJ, the BB called with J7. The big blind eliminated us both and I was bubble boy. The hands here though, were irrelevant, the fact that J7 could play here was a result of my stack being too short. If I leave the QQ alone, then a push with almost any two may steal these blinds and I am still very well positioned to go for the win.

Thanks to all who responded.

Hotchile

[Tosh]

Is it that easy to build your stack up here if you fold? You don't have much leverage to do so with your current stack, do you?

[DonButtons]

I think Im staying clear of the $1000 multis for a little while.

But thanks for the very insightful post gigabet, never thought about it that way and def. changed my thinking process overall.

In this situation, I would most likely fold too just because I dont direct buyin and just making 4th makes my roi% nasty b/c I work myself up from step 3. Ive only played like 5, but havnt had any good results. But Ive practiced in some smaller buy in 2 tables, and had some pretty good results lately, so I might have to give them another try.

[Che]

[ QUOTE ]
Is it that easy to build your stack up here if you fold?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.

[ QUOTE ]
You don't have much leverage to do so with your current stack, do you?

[/ QUOTE ]

You have tons of leverage. The Step 5's are a different animal, my friend.

Later,
Che

[Che]

The UTG minraise is either a monster than wants action or a hand like AT that would like to play the BB headsup without having to go all-in.

SwiftSteal's reraise is enough to fold the UTG minraise if UTG has the latter. So, if you know utg's minraise is weak *and* you know SwiftSteal knows this, you can overpush. Otherwise, fold.

Folding QQ would be tough for me, but I would do it. I would call with KK, however, unless I had Gigabet's reputation, in which case I would fold.

FWIW I would call instantly if SwiftSteal raised first in even if he/she had me covered.

Later,
Che

[arkady]

can you expand on the level 5 being a different animal. In what other ways, other than the obvious?