AKo, 13xBB, low flop

[betgo]

20-table SNG, 10 players left, 18 places pay, 9-player dinal table, I am slightly below average. Blinds 600/1200/75. Doubled up 2 orbits ago when open pushed from SB for 4th time with K4o and big stack in BB called me for the 1st time with Q3o.

I get AKo in 2nd position and raise to 3600 with T17K. 3rd position with T60K calls. The flop comes 552,r. I have 13.5K left and 9.5K is in the pot. What do I do?

[Sam T.]

With the antes I probably shove pre-flop, but that's because I'm a postflop donkey, and I hate being in this position.

Unless you plan on calling a bet, I'd probably get it all in right now and maximize your FE.

[kuro]

I'd push preflop.

On the flop villain is getting 1.7:1 to call a push and the flop obviously didn't improve your hand. I think pushing just folds out the hands you are way ahead of and gets called by pocket pairs that you're like a 3:1 dog to on this flop. You've got very little folding equity against a better hand because of your relative stack sizes and because you're likely seen as push happy.

I'd check the flop. I think it's fairly close between folding/calling if villain bets into you. I probably fold.

[Sam T.]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd push preflop.

On the flop villain is getting 1.7:1 to call a push and the flop obviously didn't improve your hand. I think pushing just folds out the hands you are way ahead of and gets called by pocket pairs that you're like a 3:1 dog to on this flop. You've got very little folding equity against a better hand because of your relative stack sizes and because you're likely seen as push happy.

I'd check the flop. I think it's fairly close between folding/calling if villain bets into you. I probably fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

I see your point, but with 9k in the pot I don't mind folding out hands that I'm ahead of. If you check, you are just asking him to bet his JTs, and take the pot away from you. Moreover, even if he checks behind, how happy are you to see a T, J or Q?

Not pushing preflop was a mistake, and it's time to take your medicine.

[Exitonly]

i'd consider pushing PF, espeecially with the image you seem to have (From your SB pushes).

But heads up on that flop, i think i'm pushing it, any other bet commits you to it anyway, if you get calls, you're not even guaranteed to be behind.. i've seen weaker aces call there. And if you are behind, likely have 6 outs to catch up.

So, either push PF, if your image is as reckless as it sounds, or push that flop.

[illegit]

Push on that flop. I might push PF... but you're right in 'no man's land' at 13 BBs where it's borderline between a standard raise and open push.

[EverettKings]

Not pushing preflop is fine. You're not going to want to push when you make your steals off medium stacks with T8o, so make your steals and real hands just standard opens for 2.5-3x.

On the flop I would strongly consider check/pushing. You're not folding out any pocket pairs with an open push, but you sure fold out all nonpair hands. Hopefully you can get him to bet one of them, and if he is dumb enough to bet small with 88 or something, you might have enough to move him off of it. And if he checks behind (which I don't see him doing with any pair), you can push a safe turn or (hopefully) hit your hand.

Check/folding on the flop isn't terrible but it's not going to win tournaments for you.

Everett

[KingDan]

Anyone else prefer a check push here? I don't think any pp fold heres. If it gets checked through I push any turn.

[betgo]

I pushed. I figured I was behind 3-1 to a pp and would get called, but I was getting 1.7-1 pot odds. If villain had high cards, I might as well get the money in or pick up the pot. The fact that the call came from the table leader made me suspicious that he might not have a big hand, and that is partly why I pushed rather than check/folding.

I generally like to open push, but I am not crazy about doing it from early position with 13xBB and 2xBB in blinds and antes. With a big ante in alive tournament, pushing might be best. Also, if you had a lot of players covered and you were risking less than 10xBB against several, then pushing might be reasonable. About the only hands you could push with from 2nd position are AQ, AK, TT, and JJ. I was open pushing from very late position, where I had good odds to make that play. I don't have reason to think that people would think I was a maniac and would be pushing from 2nd position for 13xBB with anything other than the four hands I mentioned.

I would be more likely to play AK for a limpraise here than push.

Villain called and showed AA, so I was more than a 3-1 dog. I guess villain was playing second hand low.