AJ Final Table hand....

Pat Southern · #1 11-30-2005, 02:42 AM

This is from a 180 person sng... My friend and I were debating the merits between pushing and calling preflop. What's the standard play?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t2000 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

UTG+1 (t11309)
MP1 (t63949)
MP2 (t64459)
CO (t67748)
Button (t27396)
Hero (t12504)
BB (t19969)
UTG (t2666)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG raises to t2566, 3 folds, CO calls t2566, Button calls t2566, Hero...

TheJackal · #2 11-30-2005, 02:46 AM

Consider folding? If you don't fold, I think pushing is correct. You want to try and isolate against the short stack and hope that the CO with 1 million chips doesn't actually have any type of hand (along with the button), and you can play your hand with a bunch of dead money in the pot. I think I fold here, I know the payout structure doesn't reward huge here, but I think AJ just isn't strong enough in this situation.

#3 11-30-2005, 02:52 AM

You should be a favorite over CO's range, though he'll be priced in to call your push, and you probably get button to fold anything put a premium hand. Calling is just ugly. I could even find a fold here. Pushing>Folding>Calling

billyjex · #4 11-30-2005, 02:55 AM

Folding here is very bad.

ansky451 · #5 11-30-2005, 03:00 AM

Where is the decision? Folding here would be atrocious, you are favored over pretty much all their ranges, and there is just so much dead money in the pot. Calling sucks balls too, you just don't have enough to be calling off- you wan't to isolate.

#6 11-30-2005, 03:03 AM

calling probably lets you see 5 cards, because people love ot check it down. But i think even so, i like a push better.

TheJackal · #7 11-30-2005, 03:11 AM

I didn't see how short we are in chips. I'd probably push here, but I don't think a fold is as bad as some of you guys seem to think. I think with 100% certainty we are getting called by the CO.

Pat Southern · #8 11-30-2005, 03:18 AM

My thoughts: Folding isn't really an option, the table had been pretty liberal in calling raises (I should have included that in my OP). With my stack I feel that there's a huge benefit in knocking the short stack out, which in one respect makes me want to keep these other players around, although it could cost me the pot, I was willing to call and check fold on a missed flop. I realize I'm ahead of my deeper stacked opponents hand ranges, but I had a feeling if I push I'm pretty likely to get called by either CO or btton, and although I'm ahead AJ will never leave me a significant favorite. So I just called preflop and heres how the rest of the hand played out:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t2000 (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

UTG+1 (t11309)
MP1 (t63949)
MP2 (t64459)
CO (t67748)
Button (t27396)
Hero (t12504)
BB (t19969)
UTG (t2666)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG raises to t2566, 3 folds, CO calls t2566, Button calls t2566, Hero calls t1566, BB calls t566.

Flop: (t10530) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (5 players)
Hero bets t9838 (All-In), BB folds, CO folds, Button folds.

Turn: (t20368) 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t20368) 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t20368

#9 11-30-2005, 03:19 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I think with 100% certainty we are getting called by the CO.

[/ QUOTE ]

if he had AQ or AK don't you think he'd have raised himself? I'm not worried about getting called by him. Also,i don't see why you're so sure he's going to call, a push is a 10k raise, not TOO tiny.