BUBBLE!! uber small stack in bb A9 utg..

[adanthar]

First of all, I think we can all agree that pushing may actually be more godawful than minraising. (It really is. Do the math.)

Second, I've minraised in similar situations before and will do it again in the future but it requires that the big stack (as well as the other guy because he acts later than the big stack) not know anything about poker. Oddly enough, most people *don't* know anything about poker, so you're good there. That said, your hand is a shade too weak and there are two people that are required to be bad here, not one, so I probably don't do it here. What I will point out is that there is a tendency to say 'well if I were the big stack I'd push 32o'...but you're not him. The resteal with any two on the bubble move is something you have to learn and isn't intuitive - if they both suck you should be more confident doing this sometimes and I'd do it almost every time in the $11's because they won't ever play back.

Anyway, that leaves calling or folding. Calling has its merits but it's funny how much people like it when almost all of the reasons it's good can also be applied to a minraise. Here, we're relying on the short stack to call a big stack push, but again, this assumes (either) big stack knows something about poker. It's far more likely that the SB will just say 'oh hey, I have JTo, I'll overcall' and set up lots of flops where he bets into you with nothing, BB folds and you have to fold top pair.

So, in this *exact* spot, with no reads at all, I fold. If they have 2+2 names, I fold quickly. If they are known to be weak/tight, I minraise. If this is a $11, I minraise quickly. If they're 85/0/0 in PT, I call. This question doesn't have one answer, and the danger lies in giving your opponents too much credit.

[45suited]

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To the one poster who asked, what is the "right" answer. Frankly, I don't think there is one. Everyone has their style.

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God, is this ever refreshing to hear sometimes. I always find it funny how sometimes a question comes up that is truly close. Several good players are on opposite sides of a question, yet often they cannot acknowledge that the decision is extremely close and that the other guy is not a complete idiot for taking a different line.

[Homer315]

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Maybe my assumption of the big stack having a solid hand if he comes over the top is off. After a minraise, the big stack will either: 1. Be asleep at the switch and fold OR 2. Push any 2 to bully the small stacks. If the bigger stacks are asleep at the switch, you have guaranteed that the shortie puts his money in with any 2 as a proabably dog to you, or folds the blinds to you, adding to your stack and leaving him unable to complete the small blind. If you run into a knowledgable big stack who pushes in, this isn't a bad thing either. Since you have position on the shortie, you will know if he is putting his tourny on the line, so your decision will be cut and dry. If he folds, he has to be all in on the next hand preflop, and the 800 some chips you have left should be able to hold out until he disappears, and if he goes in, you too can move in and hope to double up off the big stack. The only scenario where you are knocked out in 4th, is that the BB, who has to play any 2, beats both your A9o, which is better than most 2 card hands and the big stacks random hand, but the big stacks random hand beats your A9o. This will happen only around 1 time in 8, but the other times you will either double up to 2600 and eliminate the short stack, or nearly double up to 2000 while the short stack only has 900.
Maybe I'm an idiot and my logic is full of holes, but if I am I would appreciate someone telling me what they are.

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I like this post a lot. It's well thought out, and I agree with it, especially with the lack or any reads as explained above. I actually voted to push before reading any of the posts, but probably because I'm sick of the recent strings of 3rd place finishes I've had, and the number of times I've seen the small blind here fold or do something stupid like double up the short stack. Excellent discussion.

[fnord_too]

I could see myself doing any of the actions depending on the table dynamic. I put call here because a lot of times the hand will end up with no raise to the BB who will raise his last 90 then everyone calls. The real important read is on the huge stack who acts right behind me, if he has been raising every hand I just muck this, if he is mainly folding, and sb is not likely to raise w/o the goods, I call. If I think button and sb will raise if I come in light but fold if I push, I will push.

In short, this is a big "it depends" hand for me.

[11t]

Doing anything but folding here is awful.

EDIT: When I say that I mean versus readless opponents or versus anybody who is decent.

[Hendricks433]

I think Ive folded in this spot everytime to just be pissed off cause everyone folds around and sb doubled him. Of course I dont play the $55's so I dont know what the opponents are like. I dont think limping is horrible. But its either call or fold for me. Min Raising is horrible I think but also seems like some people are giving the Big Stack too much credit that hell for sure push a min raise.

[freemoney]

i think just calling is easily best, this hand gets interesting if BB has liek 550 though.

[bugstud]

before reading I am going to say limp with the idea of a group call and checkdown type hand