calling an all-in raise in the BB

[daboze]

I had some trouble with this decision at the time, and just want to make sure I am making the right plays here.

4 players left
Blinds are 200/400
Chipstacks are:
SB (1000) -- after blind
Hero (1300) -- after blind
UTG (800)
Button (4100)

UTG moves all-in. I have 93o.

Am I correct to make the call with the pot giving me such good odds and the fact that the shortstack could be pushing with almost any two?

I am certainly an underdog, but probably only in the range of 3:2. But there is a psychological hurdle to calling off a third of my chips with 93o on the bubble.

And if a call is correct here, at what point would it be incorrect? What if the raise were 600?

And aside from the pure pot odds, what about the fact that I am still not the shorstack if I fold? Should I fold just to put more pressure on the shortstack and hope for a better opportunity?

sorry if this is too many questions rolled into one, but I am trying to improve my bubble play and am trying to get a better understanding of some of the important decisions at this point in the game.

Thanks!

[ChrisV]

I think it's very, very close. Certainly you have odds for the call, but from a strategic point of view , if you call and lose you're going to be badly crippled.

Normally I have no problem making the odds calls, but I don't like this one much. UTG will not actually have a purely random hand here. If you fold, you still cover UTG, so you can push allin with any hand if it mucks to you in the SB.

My tournament strategy sense is screaming at me to fold here, but the odds you're getting aren't to be sneezed at. I think you should call but boy, do I not like it.

Edit: Actually, you don't cover UTG if you fold. I think his tips the balance to it being a call. As to how close it is, if you suppose there was no SB posted this hand, I would be inclined to fold.

[MrFeelNothin]

Definitely fold. UTG would not be moving in with any 2 here- with only 2 BBs he expects to be called here, I would expect him to have at least an A or two faces. If you fold here you will still be ahead of UTG and SB slightly after the next blind postings. If you call and lose you will be seriously short stacked and fighting for survival. I would definitely fold this and trust my poker skills to outplay at least one of the two other short stacks. If you had any semblance of a hand here I would say call, but 93o it is so clear that you are at least a 3-2 dog possibly horribly horribly worse.

[ChrisV]

At least an A or two faces is way, way off. I would move in in this spot with any queen and good jacks. People do fold the BB reasonably often even when the call is clear cut. By moving in I will probably get it heads up with the BB who I may be beating. If I fold, the other three players will run best-hand vs me next hand.

[MrFeelNothin]

2 BBs and noone yet to act. You think there is more than a 10% chance everyone will fold to you? I sure dont. I think hes got little to no folding equity there, so unless hes just retarded he wont move in without a decent hand.

[ChrisV]

A 10% chance is PLENTY with a hand like Q7. Your BB hand the next time has a 50% chance of being worse and 50% of being better. Importantly though, your opponents will not run best hand vs you. If you go allin and the button has A3, they will fold. If you fold and postup next hand and you have Q7 and the button has A3 again, this time he's going to raise you.

By folding you are almost certain to go up against the best of three hands. By moving in UTG you have a very good chance of going up against the BB only, who has a random hand.

[MrFeelNothin]

The button has 4100 chips. Hes not folding any decent hands for 800. Nor is the BB folding many hands for only 400. Moving in from UTG with 3 people to act with Q7 and only 2 BBs would be absolutely atrocious.

[ChrisV]

Are you telling me you'd call the 800 on the button with A3o?

BB isn't folding a lot (although you're the one wanting to lay down his hand) but that isn't the point. The point is you're beating his hand 50% of the time.