Empire $2k, $10 + 1 - final table with KQ in EP

[Askilus]

I'm new to MTT:s so be gentle [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I think my conservative play in the early phases of the tournaments are quite ok. It is in the latter quarter of the tournament or so I need some help to improve my game.

Here is a hand from yeasterdays $10 + 1 at Empire. 190 players to start with, 6 left. I'm with approx. 20k in chips and the BB is at t800. I have no read on villian. I haven't seen him doing anything extraordinary but I've only watched him at the final table. I think that I may have been percived as a very aggressive player. I've failed on a couple of steal attempts during the past 20 minutes and has lost 10k of my stack due to bad judgement.

I'm low staked but not desperate (as I said, about 20k in chips). The others at my table are all around 35-50k.

Hero is UTG with KQo (or possible UTG+1 with UTG folded)
I pump it up to t3000

All folds to villian

Villian (who is CO or Button)
Goes all-in and has me well covered. (he has approx. 40k in chips)

Blinds fold

If I double up here I will have I real shot for first price. I'm thinking that my table image might encourage people to take shots at me when I openraise.

Mainly I have two questions:
1. How about my openraise? To big? Without a great hand and without any position but under the pressure to accumulate some chips.

2. Do I call his all-in bet? Why? Why not?

As a side question. What are my odds agains an ace and a undercard, lets say ATo?

Regards,
Fredrik Johansson

[Askilus]

No one? Are the questions really that stupid? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[37offsuit]

You're risking 15% of your stack to pick up t1200 (6% increase). You're doing so out of position, so that if you are called, you have tough decisions to make on every street. If you get reraised, you have no idea where you're at because of your image. Maybe someone woke up with a hand, maybe they're just trying to resteal.

What hand does your opponent have here? You're easily dominated by the normal range. The types of hands that make this play given your image are: AA-99, AK, AQ. Even if you throw in the rest of the pairs, you're dominated more often than you like, given the odds you're getting.

So now you have to lay this hand down and you've further deteriorated your image. I fold here and then make a similar move if I happen to catch a decent pair or AK and hope to get paid off then.

More importantly, I either muck this preflop or make a pot sized raise. If the BB comes along, likely you're in good shape against him. If you get reraised, muck. Too many ways to lose here when you're not really under pressure yet.

[Askilus]

Thanks, great answer! It's pretty much what I realized, but to late, and you managed to put it into words [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]