How Would You Play This One?

[WiredPear]

I had a tough hand last night, and I'm wondering if I should have played it differently.

Okay, I'm playing a $5+.50 SNG on Full Tilt. There are four players left. Play has become incredibly tight. Everyone is raising and stealing blinds left and right. At one point, we went 12 hands without seeing a flop.

The chip counts were roughly

Player 1 - 8000
Player 2 - 1550
Player 3 - 1900
Hero - 2050

PRE-FLOP
Blinds are $100/$200
Player 1 and 2 fold. Player 3 (SB) calls. I have Ac7c. I call.

My standard play at this point was to raise here to steal the blinds. I had done it with lesser hands before. But at this point, I want to knock this guy out. I'm hoping to take him out if I can hit a flop.

FLOP
As Qs 9s. I check and he checks.

TURN
6h

I bet the pot - $400. He min raises to $800. I have $1250 left and decide to go all-in. I'm hoping against hope he doesn't have the flush and that I can push him off the hand.

Would appreciate any comments.

[Blindcurve]

Couple questions: Are you in the big blind? Your position is confusing to me. Also, my immediate question is: Why did you check the flop? Which might be related to the position question: i.e. Checked with the intention of raising, checked with the intention of folding. I think your play is largely dictated by your position, but off top, I don't think I'd push all-in on the turn there. I'm not sure I could call.

[sabre170]

You start with just over 10 BBs, so it is a push-or-fold option. I don't like the call preflop.

I generally fold with A-little, as it is easily dominated, but if he has been stealing a lot, I might resteal with it.

Sabre170

[willie]

600 pf then push this flop.

if you miss the flo and he bets into you, you can probably dump it and fight on...

[john_]

How do you check first preflop if you're BB and he's SB? If indeed you are BB and he is SB and he completes, I think I push here majority of the time unless he's the type of player that completes only to trap. And assuming the payout structure is similiar to party's.

[hummusx]

In descending order of goodness:

1) Push pre-flop
2) Bet the flop. I don't think you want to be trapping with A7 and 3 to a flush out. Bet 2/3 of the pot. If he raises, fold. If he calls, you're done with the hand.
3) Fold to the raise.

[WiredPear]

I'm sorry this is very confusing. He's the SB and I'm the BB. So after the flop it should read, "He checks and I check" - instead of the other way around. On the turn he bets into me and I raise all-in. Which I think was foolish.

[WiredPear]

Thanks. I agree. I should have just raised it pre-flop and that was my first mistake.