Quiz time!

[faquewdikhed]

I hope you don't mind, I posted this quiz at the freeshell forums and got a few more responses. If someone could critique my analysis of problem 9, that would be sweet.

http://www.tightpoker.com/cgi-bin/ya...num=1108939982

[DrPhysic]

I wrote down the answers very quickly. Then cheated and looked at all the other answers. Since mine don't look too dumb, I guess I'll post them. A little more conservative than Lori (which suits me fine) but not out in left field I think.

1. Second round of a sng where most pots are raised and contested by three or less players. What is the worst
a) paired JJ
b) unpaired AKo

2. First hand of a sng (10/15 blinds). Unknown player limps UTG, you have KK in MP. How much do you bet?

120

3. 10/15 blinds, everyone near their original chip count. You look down to see 55 in BB. UTG raises to X, 2 MP callers to you. What does X have to be before you will fold?

60

4. 25/50 blinds. 7 players left. you have 900 on the button, with two loose stacks of ~1500 in SB and BB. What's the best
a) paired 99
b) unpaired QJs

5. 50/100 blinds. 7 players left. you have 1100 in the SB. You have 22. The BB will call you with any pair, any ace, any 2 broadway cards. How big does his stack have to be to for you to not push?

800

6. 50/100 blinds. 6 players left. You are the chip leader in BB with 3000. Small stack goes all-in UTG for 250 chips. Folded around to you. What's the worst hand you call with?

72o

7. 100/200 blinds. 4 players left. Straightforward CO with chip stack of 3500 raises to 600. You are on button with chip lead at 4500. Tight SB and very tight BB have 1000 and 700 after posting. What is the worst hand you reraise all-in with?

TT

8. 100/200 blinds. 5 players left. you are the short stack in BB with 700 left after posting. SB is massive chip leader at 6000 and will push any two cards. Other chip counts are 1000, 1000, 1400. Table is tight other than SB. What's the worst hand with which you call the SB's inevitable open-push?

any pair, KQo, JTs whichever you consider worst

9. Late game steal situation in SB. You have 6x the BB. BB's calling range is AA-77, AT-AK, KQ. Of 22, A8o, JTs, which would you
a) most 22
b) least A8o

10. Unknown bubble situation. If you could only pick four, which of the following elements would you choose to make your preflop decision?
- Your stack size relative to the blinds
- your position
- your table image
- tightness/looseness of the table

Bonus question: You are on the bubble at 50/100 with a stack of 2000. Loose big stack is on your left with 6000. The two other (very solid) players have 1000 each. If given the chance, how many chips would you be willing to pay the big stack to have him move to your right?

600

Superbonus: NA, but I would love to hear anyones logic re question 9 which I consider the most interesting.

Doc [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[UMTerp]

Good quiz. I usually play $50's or $100's, so I'll be answering for them. A few of the questions are very thought-provoking; I especially like #10.

1. JJ, AK
2. 90ish, though I vary it.
3. 65
4. None, A8
5. 1000 - I tend to adhere pretty strictly to the 10BB rule. I'd still raise if he had 1000 or more, but I'd riase somewhere between 250 and 350.
6. 23o (call any two).
7. QQ, AK. I'd flat-call with a lot of hands here though.
8. 76o or so. I'd call with almost anything except the very qorst hands. You have almost no fold equity should you fold this.
9. A) JTs B) A8o
10. In this order:
1 Payout Structure - This is by far the most important IMO, and people aren't listing it higher only because they're so used to the 50-30-20 strucutre that they are assuming it.
2 Stack Size/Blinds
3 Stack Size/Table
4 Position

And FWIW, I think your opponent's cards are more important than your own cards.

[zac777]

Good answers so far, and several people have added excellent points.

I'm a little surprised question nine has generated the most interest since it's one of the few that has a clear answer. I think everyone who's answered has correctly identified A8o as the worst hand in this situation, but most people guessed JTs to be best. According to pokerstove, these are the winning percentages:

1) 22 - 38.87
2) JTs - 35.86
3) A8o - 32.22

I honestly don't think that result by itself is too important, because if your opponent's calling standards are that tight, you're going to play both hands the same way most of the time. You only get a +EV out of a push with 22 and -EV out of JTs if the stacks in relation to the blinds are so large (~56-70 BBs) that a) pushing is probably not your best option and b) you're not playing any SNG structure I've ever seen.

If you don't know how to calculate those numbers, you probably want to stop reading this and check out Sklanskly's Latest Article

Also, the rankings of those hands depend on an perfect read of the big blind's calling range. Anyone care to throw out a guess at how the three hands rank against these calling standards?

a) Any Pair, AK-AT, KQ
b) Any Pair, Any ace, KQ
c) Any two cards

I just ran the numbers on these three, and I guess the most important thing I saw is this: as the BB's calling standards loosen, knowing the correct answer to this question matters more and more. Thoughts?