Two very difficult small PP situations in the money. Stars $150

[shaniac]

$150+12 Stars Wednesday. 27 paid. 27-19 get a small payout, 18th-11th is a decent $300 profit or so and the real money is, you guessed it, in the top 3 money spots. I'm playing, as always, to win.

One interesting side note here: My opponent on the first hand, G6Dragon, and I have a escalating last longer. $100 bumped to $150 if we both make the final 27, $200 final 18 and $300 if we're both at the final table.

We are down to 2 tables. I have around 9K and post the 1200 BB. It's folded to G6Dragon in the SB, who pushes allin. He has me covered by around 5K. I have 55. Your move?

A couple orbits later I am in suboptimal shape with ~9K utg...blinds are at 1K/2K a100. 16 players left at 8-handed tables. I have 44. Your move?

Some highlights/results from the hand history and chat:

PokerStars Game #768454573: Tournament #2958541, Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) -

Table '2958541 27' Seat #1 is the button

Seat 2: G6Dragon (12480 in chips)
Seat 3: shaniac (9590 in chips)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shaniac [5c 5h]

G6Dragon: raises 11205 to 12405 and is all-in


...........
...........


shaniac: folds

shaniac said, "55 you mothere****er"


MonsterJ [observer] said, "hit that presto"

G6Dragon said, "KQss"

MonsterJ [observer] said, "jeez"

G6Dragon said, "you folded presto?"

HoldemPhil said, "i agree"

MonsterJ [observer] said, "what were you thinking"

HoldemPhil said, "i call with 5 5 there"

MonsterJ [observer] said, "i reraise with 55 there" [we'll ignore the fact that I had no chance to reraise there]

Edit: G6Dragon is a famously agressive and IMO fairly solid player. However, he has been sitting in the SB to my BB for some time now and has folded more than 75% of the time to my BB when it was folded to him.

On the second hand, I pushed allin with the fours, it was folded to the BB who called with AdTd and I lost.

Shane

[bsk1999]

(1) Easy fold. If he has been playing as tight as you say, you are either a 50-something to 40-something favorite, or a huge dog. Wait and fight another day.
(2) It's either an all in or fold at this point. Depending on how I was feeling, I might chuck, or go all in as you did, probably 50-50.

I think the main difference is in (1) you are calling someone who is representing strength, in (2) you would be representing strength first, which is an advantage.

[adanthar]

I think the last longer bet actually alters the dynamics of #1 somewhat. You're basically getting 1.2:1 to call with 6 BB left, and if you win you are virtually guaranteed an extra $200. If you fold, though, he has double your chips and you have to make it to something like 8'th or 7'th just to make the money you 'missed out on' had you won here.

Add the fact that he probably doesn't do this with AA-KK and the fact that he *will* do this with A2-A5 (will he also push K2-K5 here? Probably), plus the extra EV you get from being a slightly bigger stack, and I think you basically have to call.

Also, if this was Party, I wouldn't all in 44 UTG (OK, I might anyway with your stack, but I think it's close). On Stars, with the extra antes and the increased likelihood of marginal hands folding, I think you have to do it.