Step 5 AKo - Easy fold?

[Che]

Party 2-table Step 5, 16 left, 8-handed. Blinds 15/30.

UTG folds, I open for 90 with A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. 3 folds then unknown button (1660) calls.

SB pushes for 2455. BB (670) folds.

SB is a Step 5 regular. He buys in rather than playing his way up. He is more aggressive than average, but definitely not stupid.

Pot=1925. 1640 for me to call (1.17:1). If the button plays, I’ll be getting 2.12:1 on the three-way pot.

Easy fold? Or, is this one of those calls that “wins tournaments”?

Later,
Che

[Jon Matthews]

There is pretty much the right amount of dead money in the pot to be on the wrong end of a coinflip here, which means a call is correct against QQ and below. You have no chance of a 3-way all in here! So, if you're sure AA or KK aren't out there, then call.

Personally, I fear AA and KK here enough for EV to dictate a fold, since I make this raise with those hands, particularly in the very early stages hoping for someone to bite.

It's not the sort of hand that wins tournaments. You're all too deep and the game is too far from the end. Basically a double up now lets you pick and choose your starting hands and survive more comfortably than everyone else as the blinds grow. If the villain is bullying like that he will be picked off sooner or later. People won't be short enough until the final table IMO for those sorts of "winning" hands, so keep your chips.

I don't think it's that close a decision either. In terms of edges, it's not clear you have one here, but since no one has replied so far, I'd be interested to hear other opinions.

Cheers,

Jon

[niwotyalpi]

What was your chip stack? If you have an average stack (1250) I think this is a clear fold. It's very early in the tournament, you only have 90 in, and even in your most amazing dream you can't believe your better than a coin flip here. Not to mention the other 2 times when you are completely buried.

If for some reason your already short stacked, <600 then I would tend to gamble and push everytime here.

[CUonCRUISE]

You said you had 1600+ left a good early stack, easy fold. AK can kill you early in one of these.

[adanthar]

If the button plays you are screwed because the only thing the button calls is aces.

This is no ordinary push and can be aces or can be two cards. Who's the player?...eh, who am I kidding, I fold.

[Che]

I folded.

I thought it was an easy fold at this level, but posted the hand as a checkup.

Note: I frequently call here at lower levels (especially if my stack is <1000) because these huge overbets are normally small pairs/Ax/total crap there. However, at this level, I figured he was trying to trap me with strong hand (I did raise in EP) under his AA. He did overbet with the nuts and trap someone later, in fact.

Thanks for the replies,
Che