AKo on the button, mid/late stage with tourny fate in the balance

redrooski24 · #1 07-05-2005, 02:45 AM

Table has been relatively average, probably a bit on the tight side. I of course have been taking advantage by stealing left and right, and called a short stack push with my 7Ts and lucked out(pot odds are my friend). He was screaming away in the chat for the villain who had taken his spot to hear and I'm sure my image is that of a major blind thief. Anyway, I sat back and decided to wait for a monster to pounce and make it look like I was stealing again, action follows like this...

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t800 (9 handed) converter

MP3 (t12734)
CO (t35912)
Hero (t21685)
SB (t42727)
BB (t34994)
UTG (t15038)
UTG+1 (t13951)
MP1 (t7727)
MP2 (t10700)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
6 folds, Hero raises to t2500, 1 fold, BB raises to t4200, Hero ???

At first I wanted to make a big bet(5-6x) to represent a pure steal as I thought I would get them to play back more often. Halfway through that process, I started thinking again how I was 15th in chips with about 60 left(bubble just burst) and in a great spot, and that I might not want to risk my whole tourny at this stage on a coinflip vs a stack who has me covered, so I made a relatively standard raise. The big stack had been quite loose PF as far as calling standards to raises(even in nonsteal situations) and given my image, I figured he did not need to have a PP to make a move, and that I was well ahead of his hand range. Anyway, I will post the results after a few responses, but I just wanted to get the opinions of the forum on the plan of action with the hand. Shove preflop or call and try to hit a favorable flop? Comments are appreciated.

One final note - If I double up here, I become chip leader of the tourny(or very close to it). Basically, do you think this is as good a spot as any to put all your chips in or look for a better opportunity?

Isura · #2 07-05-2005, 12:16 PM

If you think he'll call with AQ, and maybe AJ KQs then it's an easy push imo. I probably still push because we have a lot of folding equity, and villain needs AA-QQ to call for 2/3 of his stack. You'll act 2nd postflop so I don't think it's wise to call here, unless you can call a flop push.

A_PLUS · #3 07-05-2005, 12:46 PM

You might be in good relative position, but I dont think you can dump AK with apx 20xBB under the current situation.

First, get all "I am in a good position" thoughts out of your head. Bad way to look at things right here. There are still 60 players left, and you are going to need a lot more than 20K in chips to make the final table in decent shape.

Now, lets look at the factors in the hand.

Cards....AK (push)
image(you)....loose (push)
image(him)....loose (push)
Tournament....neutral (I actually think it is positive, but thats just overkill)

If you can give me one reason not to push this hand, I would be interested to read

Isura · #4 07-05-2005, 12:58 PM

[ QUOTE ]
If you can give me one reason not to push this hand, I would be interested to read

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't. But if we were out of position, a stop and go might not be a bad plan. But I still like pushing too.

A_PLUS · #5 07-05-2005, 01:05 PM

I agree for the most part. But do you think we are deep enough that the villan will not insta-push with 77 and a (4 T Q) flop?

nevermind, doesnt really matter pot is to big not to push.

If we were BB, and in CO, and he was the button (everyone else folded), now THAT would be interesting. Maybe I will try to work out some numbers for a push vs stop and go

locutus2002 · #6 07-05-2005, 01:49 PM

I call.

The miniraise is concerning because I would think he would try and win the pot with 77-TT with a much larger raise.

Are you sure you are ahead in the hand? Especially by enough to giveup the advantage of position, where almost any bet made by villain is going to leave him pot committed.

Also by pushing you allow AJ-AT to escape easily when they are 3:1 underdogs.

A_PLUS · #7 07-05-2005, 02:33 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I call.

The miniraise is concerning because I would think he would try and win the pot with 77-TT with a much larger raise.

Are you sure you are ahead in the hand? Especially by enough to giveup the advantage of position, where almost any bet made by villain is going to leave him pot committed.

Also by pushing you allow AJ-AT to escape easily when they are 3:1 underdogs.

[/ QUOTE ]

I actually considered this line, but I dont like putting 20% of my stack in the middle, when I will have to fold to a bet 2/3 of the time on the flop. Remember, he thinks we are a LAG. If I had a lag on the button, I may min-raise AQ, and bet any flop.

Being up against AA-KK is very bad. Being up against 22-QQ is decent, Folding to a flop bet from AT-AJ, is HORRIBLE.

Are you sure you are ahead in this hand? Come on, be serious, should we tread lightly with QQ here as well?

The only way calling is a better line, is the cases when he would have folded preflop, but we end up stacking him post flop. That doesnt happen often enough to make up for the times we fold what would have been the best hand preflop.

I dont think your advice is horrible here, but probably wrong. If you want to debate, lets start talking actual numbers, rather than your typical "your a donk" response.

A_PLUS · #8 07-05-2005, 02:35 PM

Matros on playing AK

schwza · #9 07-05-2005, 02:49 PM

i'd push. it sounds like villain will call with some very spotty hands here. if we call and fold to his bet when he has something like KJ that's pretty much the worst disaster possible. and yes, i think he may call the push with KJ, especially if it's sooooooted.

locutus2002 · #10 07-05-2005, 03:12 PM

Yeah, 22 miniraises OOP.

I'm certainly not folding 2/3 of the time if I call BTF, and my rate of folding is going to depend largely on my read of the players involved. As to the numbers, I think hero is even against hands that miniraise, either player is getting pot odds to call the rest of their chips. My personal preference is just to play some poker, I'm not criticizing the push. I think on average villain is going to have to make harder decisions that hero from this point forward.