Final table question when you're the chip leader.

[Che]

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I'd rather make a play like this vs. the right opponent than try to chip away slowly at the blinds round after round if given the option of one or the other.

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Since he's to my right, I should have lots to chances to steal from the small stacks after the big stack folds. So risking it all to make a play with any 2 doesn't make sense given the relatively large number of opportunities I should have to steal the blinds (even if it does take 5 steals to equal the payoff for this one play).

If the big stack was to my left (in which case I would be on the BB, I guess), I like making the occasional play at the big stack more since my stealing opportunities will be fewer with a big stack right behind me.

As for UTG+1 folding JJ to the 6xBB open, I don't like it. JJ is at the bottom of my comfort zone for pushing in, but I would still do it against a reasonable opponent and I'd push in with less against an aggressive, bullying chip leader.

[hockey1]

I side with Sklansky here (I know -- going way out on a limb here, especially on this forum). Those additional 15,000 chips just aren't worth risking your whole stack for. There are plenty of hands you don't want to be called with (AA-QQ, AK, AQ) and, although it's unlikely chip leader has those, and although he might not call with some of them, you just don't want to put yourself in this position. You have a good enough chip position to wait for a better spot.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Tho I might open raise with a variety of hands, all of them AT or better aces, KQs, or pairs, I would not typically do so for 6x the bb. While sometimes this is necessary in tournaments where you're either getting no respect, or getting played back at big time often, usually you want to be able to get away if you are going to have to push it all in with a hand like AJo. Raise 3x or maybe 4x the blind UTG. This is very much compounded by the fact the 2nd chip leader is on your left, don't risk more than you have to.

As for what you can call his all-in reraise with? AA, KK, maybe QQ, and you might pray to the poker gods and call with AK, but I'd be nervous about it, REAL nervous. I might even lay down AK here.

Avoiding confrontations with other big stacks is critical, especially in late stages and on or near the bubble.

al

[Greg (FossilMan)]

Against most chip leaders, Sklansky is wrong. JJ is way ahead of their typical range of hands in this spot, so even though they will call your all-in with AA-QQ, and you'll be a big dog for all the chips, they will probably fold very, very often, including a couple of the hands you want them to fold, AQ and KQ. You will be forced to a race with AK most of the time, and you will also sometimes be a big favorite when they call with TT or worse. But, most of the time, you'll win it right there.

When he folds, this is where I show my hand, to let him know that he is doing the right thing in laying down to my reraises.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[45Player]

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You have a good enough chip position to wait for a better spot.

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If the chip leader is constantly bullying the small stacks like this then you are going to have to throw away hand after hand whilst waiting for a better spot. He will get his raise in first each time and force you to throw away many raising hands. By reraising all in with JJ in this situation, you will be letting him know that he can’t run over you. This should take away some of his aggression and allow you to steal more.

[Senor Choppy]

I'm not sure about any two, considering you don't want to do this often b/c you don't want the big stack thinking it's anything more than you waking up to a huge hand occasionally. But it wouldn't take but 1 or 2 times to significantly affect chip positions. I think I'd wait at least for an ace but I'd seriously consider it if I hadn't played a hand in a while and I thought the big stack was intelligent.

As far as this play vs. being in the bb vs. the big stack, the reason I like this one much better is because the big stack HAS to believe I have an absolute monster here. If I'm in the bb I could be called by all sorts of hands if the big stack things I'm tired of folding to his bullying.

[Senor Choppy]

I think the hands I could be called with are QQ-AA and AK, I think he is definitely folding AQ here unless he's terrible. Assuming he's raising with any pair and any ace trying to steal the blinds, that's 73 combinations of pairs, 180 combinations of aces, for 253 total, (BTW, I think my math is correct but it's all off the top of my head). Of those raising hands, only 18 are QQ, KK, or AA, which are the only hands where we're dead, and 16 are AK, which isn't a great situation to be in, but we're still the favorite. What it means is that 85% of the time we're going to increase our stack by 25% without a fight from the big stack. If we win this one hand, we're now the chip leader and no longer have to worry about going broke in one hand.

We're shooting for first and this is the perfect place to start building a lead. Although it seems dangerous at first, it's actually unlikely we'll even get played with here, which makes this the perfect opportunity to pick up a lot of chips with very little chance of even needing to show down the best hand to do it.

[Senor Choppy]

I really like showing, too. Especially because of how much I'd be loosening up my raising standards after this hand.

[Tosh]

If you fold AA here you shouldn't be playing poker.