How's this resteal line?

Superfluous Man · #1 05-13-2005, 02:56 AM

I've been consciously trying to resteal more from aggro stacks that have me covered, but will be crippled if i double through them.

So, here's a sample from the 'stars $11r. I'll post the line and the reasoning. This is from the 'stars $11r, and we're all barely ITM. Something like 95 left, 99 paid. Obviously I want to make the final table, and I'm willing to gambool to get there. My read on the CO is that he's quite aggro, as he's stolen and/or restolen 5 times in about 15 hands. My table image is probably a little looser than I'd like it to be for this play, but...

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t4000 (8 handed) converter

CO (t185442)
Button (t262759)
SB (t44590)
Hero (t151848)
UTG (t59966)
UTG+1 (t10274)
MP1 (t52667)
MP2 (t16405)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
4 folds, CO raises to t8000, 2 folds, Hero raises to t24000, CO calls t16000.

Flop: (t50800) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets t40000, CO raises to t161242, Hero calls t87648 (All-In).

Ok, here's the rationale. Preflop, I'm trying to represent a big hand, obviously. I vacillate between making it 24k and 30k, and decide on 24k because I'd like to be able to get away from this if it should backfire. Should I have raised more preflop on the resteal? I was giving him a little better than 2:1, perhaps I should have cut that down more?

Also, is A8o a hand with which one wants to resteal? I figure if he pops me back it's an easy fold, because then i can reduce his range to a better ace or a PP better than 77. The problem comes when we see a Axx flop, but I guess one can worry about that later, I guess. I'm really just trying to take the pot down now and send the message that he cannot steal from me with impunity.

On the flop, I have to make the continuation bet here, right? Is this a good size? I probably should have gone lower, to something like 30k or even 25k, because then I can fold to a push. I don't think that he'll fold any pocket pair bigger than 44 here, but I'm thinking I can get him to fold a bigger ace if he has one.

Also, I have to call when he pushes here, in my opinion, due to the too-large continuation bet. I'm getting 2.5:1 and I'm almost always going to have at least 8 outs, maybe even 11. Or maybe even the best hand, because I certainly don't put it past this particular player to make this play with K-high, hoping to get me to fold the unpaired ace.

Results...who cares about results, am i rite? I'm just wondering if there was perhaps too much gambool in these preflop and flop plays, when I was top 15 in chips, though I certainly could not have coasted my way to the final table (or even the final 2-3 tables). I figure if I win, I'm a monster chip leader with a very good shot at making the final table.