How to play AA when short stacked

Damian UK · #1 02-12-2005, 05:10 PM

Hi all

MTT satillette to 20K main event, pays first 10, 11 left

I have the smallest stack of all with 6.5K - blinds are 1K/2K - also am on the 5 person table and hand for hand play isn't on so the blinds are coming around quickly (dont know why H4H play isn't on - it normally is)

have AA UTG other players in order

25K
17k (sitting out)
SB 14K
BB 12K

so with AA and needing chips how should I play this? All in and hope to get a caller? call and how someone limps in or reraises? or min raise to build a little value?

I am really unsure about this as I need to maximise it to survive - I will let you know what I did later and have you all critique my play (as you can guess still new to this game!! [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img])

cheers all

Damian

housenuts · #2 02-12-2005, 05:47 PM

go all-in. the extra 3k will greatly help your stack. i don't think min-raising is really an option because everyone knows you will be playing for your whole stack.

any move other than all-in will also bring about suspicion from other players because you're supposed to be in all-in or fold mode.

Haiku Answer · #3 02-12-2005, 06:33 PM

short stack makes you push
hope someone has some cards too
really no choice here

skoal2k4 · #4 02-12-2005, 06:49 PM

I'd say go all-in. The big stack will probaby try and take a shot at knocking you out with anything that seems reasonable

Komodo · #5 02-12-2005, 07:03 PM

I would just call and hope to get as many callers as possible, and go all-in later whatever the flop or turn is. Going all-in is the other option which you can do if you are happy to double up or just pick up the blinds. The rigth move depends a lot what your goal with the tournament is and how your opponents recognize your call.
Matthias

Go Blue · #6 02-12-2005, 07:21 PM

Given your particular position and chip count, I think you have to go all in here and hope for a caller. It's also not that unlikely that you will get called since you're short stacked and UTG (so since you're desperate, people can't really put you on a hand like AA). If you don't get called, that's still not bad because now this will pay for your blinds.

If I had a little more than 6.5k, I would consider a stop and go...perhaps raise around 4.5k or 5k, hope to get one caller and push on any flop. However, a raise of less than all in here, would possibly get a couple of callers, who woudln't fold on the flop for another 1.5k, or eveyone might fold altogether because that's a really suspicious looking raise.

So what did you do? How did it work out?

skoal2k4 · #7 02-12-2005, 07:29 PM

[ QUOTE ]

If I had a little more than 6.5k, I would consider a stop and go...perhaps raise around 4.5k or 5k, hope to get one caller and push on any flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not a stop and go

Pat Southern · #8 02-12-2005, 08:02 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I would just call and hope to get as many callers as possible, and go all-in later whatever the flop or turn is. Going all-in is the other option which you can do if you are happy to double up or just pick up the blinds. The rigth move depends a lot what your goal with the tournament is and how your opponents recognize your call.
Matthias

[/ QUOTE ]

How many different goals can he have? Its a satellite tournament with 1 person left on the bubble. This is an easy push, The blinds are going to eat up half your stack within two hands, and its pretty likely you'll get a caller, considering how few chips you have. This is a great opportunity to double up and possibly be able to fold your way to the money, depending on the other stacks.

Dentist · #9 02-12-2005, 10:06 PM

I'd just call or mini raise.

Sure it's ghey, and if it steals the blinds, so be it.

yes, this introduces the possibility of getting beaten, but you really desire a double-up... not a blind steal.

this is the perfect hand to make a weird play... many opponents aren't sharp enough to realize what you're doing.

Give the SB or BB a chance to catch enough of a hand so you can double.

BlackAces · #10 02-12-2005, 11:31 PM

This is a trivial push. There are three factors at work here:

- You're under the gun, making it look as though you may be desperate, and thus getting someone else to play with lesser cards.
- Your all-in raise is no more than a standard raise at this point, so people may come along with more substandard hands than if you had more chips.
- The blinds represent half your stack, and you'd be more than happy to just take those down.