Blind defense, Short Stack vs. Short Stack on the bubble

[sofere]

What type of hand do you need to push back over the top to defend your blinds?

Hubble min raised everytime I was BB and it was folded around. How often should I push back and with what hands?
I was waiting for any PP, Ax, Kx, any suited connector above 4-5, any connector above 8-9. But the hands weren't coming much in those situations. After the 3rd time or so should I push back with any two?

BTW this was Stars 5.50

Seat 1: mabrenna (2540 in chips)
Seat 5: Idachamp (7575 in chips)
Seat 6: hubble (1860 in chips)
Seat 7: sofere (1525 in chips)
hubble: posts small blind 100
sofere: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to sofere [5d Jh]
mabrenna: folds
Idachamp: folds
hubble: raises 200 to 400
sofere: folds
hubble collected 400 from pot
hubble: doesn't show hand

[sofere]

just a little bumparoo

[RobGW]

Don't take it personally. Hubble is doing what he needs to do to stay in the game. I think you should wait until you have a good enough hand, ie the ones you mentioned, to play back at him. In the meantime, how has Mabrenna been playing? Maybe you could steal his blinds to stay afloat until you get a premium hand?

[Big Limpin']

I dont think this is the time to "smarten him up" Both cause its the bubble and cause you have J5. Get him next time.

I think the most apt saying here is: "give him enough rope"

If it worked the last 3 or 4 times for him, he's gonna do it again. Hopefully, the blinds go up one for when you pop him.

Also, we are getting to the point where he has pot odds to call your push back with some "good but not great" hands, so your fold equity isnt that good. Your J5 pushback getting called by his KTo type hand...just bad news.

[sofere]

I'm not taking it personally...he is doing what he has to, but at my expense. Personal or not, I wanna make him stop. Mabrenna has folded to my steals, but when I'm that short stacked, all my steals are all-ins. Would it be prudent to do some minraising against a stack that has me covered by so much when I have only 7xBB? Wouldn't that just be inviting a reraise allin? If he does that or just calls, I'm pretty much screwed aren't I?

Edit: At this point I'm pushing pretty much Ax, K7 up, 78s, 89s, 910s, any 2 broadway when I'm opening and big stack has folded. I guess my question is, should I push back at hubble with similar hands, or should I wait for better ones?

[RobGW]

Hubble is going to force you to make some tough decisions. Just remember that by putting so much of his stack on a raise, he most likely will call your reraise. Remember, he is desperate too. So I would only push something that has a chance to win. I think your all in raises are proper, however you can't do it too often or you will be called. You are getting to the point where I usually start looking for some gambling opportunities, ie coin flips. I would treat the big stack and Hubble the same way. Any PP, any two broadways, Axs, suited connectors should be pushed.

[triplc]

Yes, patience is a virtue, but at some point you might want to take a chance and push with any two cards, depending upon his style. If he's very loose, you're simply going to have to wait for a hand to play. If he's the type of player that will lay down a hand, then push with any two and hope he's stealing.

The problem with this is obvious...if he has a hand, you are likely to lose. But the benefits are threefold if he folds. First, you pick up a fair chunk of his stack. Second, future raises will likely indicate a hand. Third, once he knows you will play back at him, he's more likely fold and give up his 100, rather than risk 400 or his entire stack. At some point, you have to stick up for yourself and defend. Maybe not the first, maybe not the second, but by the third or fourth time it's probably time to push, and finally put him to a decision for his chips.

Remember, he's on the bubble, too, and he'd much rather see you go up against someone else than risk his own hide.

Play well,

CCC

[SpeakEasy]

Take the offensive. Raise when you are on the button, and steal blinds yourself.

The button here is just doing his job to stay afloat. You should, also. Be aggressive in position.

[raptor517]

why not call getting 3-1 and take a flop with any 2 and outplay him on the flop. i would say that 90% of the time here he will min bet you on the flop, and if u put out 400 more, hell muck almost anything but top pair. also, you dont need to get too worked up yet, you not that short stacked. i guess im not used to the stars setup for sngs, as i play strictly empire and party, but in that situation he can have my 200, i can outplay him for it, or i can wait till i get a good hand. having 8x the BB is a luxury at the 100-200 level. you still have quite a bit of time to work. dont get too anxious. playing back all in is a good plan, but dont do it with some crap like 56 off.