Squeeze play situation

[ononimo]

what would be the minimum non-paired hand be that you'd play in this spot?

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with 10BBs, would you really fold A9s in CO position against limpers?

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Sometimes this is an easy fold.

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i need help here (not being sarcastic) ... why is this an easy fold here? is it two limpers instead of one? what would the minimum non-paired hand be that's worth playing in this spot?

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I don't know what the correct play is here, but I certainly have played against players where I think A9s is an easy fold, mainly because I think I have no FE.

Does anyone like limping here?

[Firefly]

lol, i was asking myself that question, and I think it's AT, KQ... i might have to do some pokerstoving here...

[Matador225]

I considered limping but I was a little hesitant due to my short stack. My image was really tight as I had only played 1 or 2 hands in the last few orbits. Certainly I'm not expecting that many of players at this level to pick up on this, but I think I get a limped AT or maybe AJ to fold here.

I think in the future I'll be more hesitant in trying this with a hand like A9s at this level. I think I run into a bigger ace a little too often at a loose table to make it profitable. If I'm pretty confident I can get a fold out of AT/AJ, then I think its a play I have to make.

Thanks for the comments guys.

Don't limp. With this stack I doubt you're going to get away from an A on the flop, and you don't have enough chips to make limping for a flush or 9 high flop worth it. Any probe bet you would make would pretty much pot commit you.

Will

[betgo]

Unlike others, I like the play (it is not considered a squeeze play). There is 525 in the pot and you have 1580. Against AKo, you lose an average of 470. Taking the pot is huge and your hand is pretty strong against limpers.

It is not that likely either limper or blind has AT or 99 or better. You could easily get called by a hand you are ahead of.

The fact that it is a $10 tournament may make for looser calls, but any hand that is ahead of you will probably call anyway and be a 7-3 favorite, except for AA. The 2nd limper may make a pot odds call if no one else calls, but you are probably ahead plus pot odds.

I assume there was a lot of limping at this stage of a $10 tournament, so there is no reason to believe anyone was trapping. You just had the bad luck to run into someone playing AK for a limpraise.

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The second limper had been playing pretty loose.

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This is your reason for folding instead of pushing. You make moves like this against tight players that aren't calling you down as most of your equity comes from them folding. When you think you will be called more frequently you make this move less often. A9 isn't the best hand for this play as anyone with a bigger ace has you dominated and you're only slightly ahead of hands like KT-KQ, QT-QJ, JT. I prefer making this move with hands that aren't easily dominated like this one. Sklansky group 1/2 hands and small suited connectors (that take it all down when rags or a strong draw flop) are better than a medium strength hand like A9 here.

[betgo]

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The second limper had been playing pretty loose.

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This is your reason for folding instead of pushing. You make moves like this against tight players that aren't calling you down as most of your equity comes from them folding. When you think you will be called more frequently you make this move less often. A9 isn't the best hand for this play as anyone with a bigger ace has you dominated and you're only slightly ahead of hands like KT-KQ, QT-QJ, JT. I prefer making this move with hands that aren't easily dominated like this one. Sklansky group 1/2 hands and small suited connectors (that take it all down when rags or a strong draw flop) are better than a medium strength hand like A9 here.

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If the 2nd limper is playing loose, he probably isn't limping with a hand that dominates you. If you get called by KTo, you are a 3-2 favorite, and on average you win 600 chips, versus 525 for taking the blinds.

A9s is easily dominated by strong hands, but 2 players limped, implying they don't have strong hands. You could make this play with a suited connector, where you are a 3-2 dog against AKo, rather than a 7-3 dog. However, against KQo, you are a 3-2 favorite with A9s, but a 3-2 dog with a suited conncector.

I don't think you need a Sklanky level 1-2 hand to push. I would push with most 1-5 level hands. Pocket pairs and suited connectors are good to push too.

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The second limper had been playing pretty loose.

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This is your reason for folding instead of pushing. You make moves like this against tight players that aren't calling you down as most of your equity comes from them folding. When you think you will be called more frequently you make this move less often. A9 isn't the best hand for this play as anyone with a bigger ace has you dominated and you're only slightly ahead of hands like KT-KQ, QT-QJ, JT. I prefer making this move with hands that aren't easily dominated like this one. Sklansky group 1/2 hands and small suited connectors (that take it all down when rags or a strong draw flop) are better than a medium strength hand like A9 here.

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If the 2nd limper is playing loose, he probably isn't limping with a hand that dominates you. If you get called by KTo, you are a 3-2 favorite, and on average you win 600 chips, versus 525 for taking the blinds.

A9s is easily dominated by strong hands, but 2 players limped, implying they don't have strong hands. You could make this play with a suited connector, where you are a 3-2 dog against AKo, rather than a 7-3 dog. However, against KQo, you are a 3-2 favorite with A9s, but a 3-2 dog with a suited conncector.

I don't think you need a Sklanky level 1-2 hand to push. I would push with most 1-5 level hands. Pocket pairs and suited connectors are good to push too.

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True statements and I stand corrected. Pocket pairs are good in this spot as well. I'm not sure I'd include everything in Groups 3-5 though, especially the suited gapped holdings, Ax-ATo and Axs-A9s but there are some hands in those groups that are good for a squeeze.

[betgo]

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True statements and I stand corrected. Pocket pairs are good in this spot as well. I'm not sure I'd include everything in Groups 3-5 though, especially the suited gapped holdings, Ax-ATo and Axs-A9s but there are some hands in those groups that are good for a squeeze.

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I said most level 1-5 hands. A2s can be a good hand to see a flop with in an unraised pot in limit, PL, and NL. However, I am not pushing with it.

Axs is group 5, due to nut flush possibilities. AQo is 3, AJo 4, ATo 6, A9o 8, and Axo is not ranked. Contrary to fish thinking, any ace is pretty weak at a full table. The ranking are for limit, but may have application to NL/PL. The rankings value high cards that may make second best hands too highly for no limit. However, for pushing, you don't care if you win with second pair or a boat, so the rankings give a fairly good idea of the hands you wan to push with.