Bubble: Playing for first or spewing? ($22)

[Karak567]

Push preflop, problem solved.

[pokergrader]

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but why exactly am I pushing pre-flop? Im only called by hands that beat me.

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That fact that you will only get called by hands that have you beat is not the point here since the majority of the time you push preflop you will win the pot uncontested. This coupled with the percentage of times you win when called make this play +EV

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I understand this, and use this heavily in levels 5-7 in STTs, but in this situation I've got:

1) A very healthy chip situation, considering im on the button next hand, and have 2 hands to push and scoop both the blinds (as opposed to just the BB here)
2) A decent but not great hand

It seems to me like in this situation, pushing the flop gives me everything pushing PF doesn't. If I push the flop, I not only have the FE of winning the pot right there, but I'm a favorite against most hands.

Is completing from the SB so wrong in this situation?

[lastchance]

Yes, because this flop is a great flop for you. Most of the time, it could be a 753 flop that completely hit your opponent.

Completing in the SB allows some random junk hand that would have quickly folded preflop to hit on the flop and call bets.

You need to push preflop.

Pushing the flop is a bit of an overbet for me, and I really like the check-raise all-in line.

Being on the bubble I'm assuming the table has tightened up a bit. I would have raised especially cuz only the BB is left.
He'll play any two cards for free could be 23 of hearts or ak o hearts.

[ilya]

Push preflop,

but given that you didn't, I don't like betting out like that on the flop. Couple problems:

1, he flat calls, turn is a blank, now wtf do you do?
2, he raises just like he did, you have to 3-bet all-in, but you've gotten him way too involved in the hand & have little folding equity on the 3rd bet.

I'm not a huge fan of pushing here as it looks pretty weak, so I think the check-raise-all-in is a good line. Good balance of looking strong & getting some extra chips & leaving villain lots of room to fold.

[pokergrader]

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Push preflop,

but given that you didn't, I don't like betting out like that on the flop. Couple problems:

1, he flat calls, turn is a blank, now wtf do you do?
2, he raises just like he did, you have to 3-bet all-in, but you've gotten him way too involved in the hand & have little folding equity on the 3rd bet.

I'm not a huge fan of pushing here as it looks pretty weak, so I think the check-raise-all-in is a good line. Good balance of looking strong & getting some extra chips & leaving villain lots of room to fold.

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Alright, I got it now. Push pre-flop it is. And I see how the CR line on the flop beats pushing.

[fisherman112]

calling preflop isnt terrible, but definitely check raise all in on the flop. it looks like a much strong hand than the way you played it. a c/r gets him to dump a 9, this way he's committed.

[pokergrader]

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calling preflop isnt terrible, but definitely check raise all in on the flop. it looks like a much strong hand than the way you played it. a c/r gets him to dump a 9, this way he's committed.

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Just for closure, he was playing 94o, with the 4 of hearts.

[45suited]

1) Push pre-flop

2) I really don't like the C/R on this flop. Granted we have a huge draw, but on the bubble, I'd rather just take the pot down than have villain catch a piece of the flop and feel pot committed to call my push.

If pushing the flop smells like an overbet, fine, then I'll rely on my huge draw if he wishes to call. But I'm not really into squeezing every last chip out of pots during bubble play, especially when I still do not have a made hand. Taking down the 600 on the flop after pushing is not a bad result here.

Keep in mind that the 600 already in the pot represents 1/4 of hero's stack. I don't see why we are trying to encourage so much action while on the bubble.