AKo UTG....raise/fold

[pokerstudAA]

The situation
2 hours into a 70 person $25 tournament. 24 people left. Blinds 75/150

Hero has 16k and is in a dominating chip position both at the table and in the tournament. Hero has open raised about 8 out of the last 12 hands and most have gone down uncontested. The table is very tight but Hero is clearly the table captain with a giant target on him. Mosts avg stacks 4-6K.

Blinds 75/150. I open raise UTG with AKo to 375. MP2 - the only player to play back at hero so far. He had reraised me with 44 and 22 previously. MP2 reraises to 1200 (he has 8k). Then CO goes all-in for 8.5k. CO has been pretty quiet so far.

My thinking. I have a nice chip lead. I only invested 375 into the pot. I have a pretty good hand but I am getting squeezed here. MP2 might have picked up a hand but he does not necessarily have a premium hand to make this play. CO has a nice hand and a very tight range here: AA, KK, QQ, AK ( mabye JJ, AQs but I seriously doubt it). Sooo where does that leave me? MP2 might have a hand and CO definately has a hand. AKo and I am hoping for a coinflip. I dont want to risk 1/2 my chips when I am using them to my advantage at the table. Coinflip with QQ or split with AK at best. Spanked by AA or KK at worst. I have no real good reason to gamble here [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Hero pitches AKo in the muck.


Bueno? It seemed easy at the time......

You made a good play if you believe that the cutoff could only have those hands. Players like to develop a very tight image then raise with lower PP, but you don't have to gamble here because if you are in control of the table there you can get there chips by continuing to raise, however, if you want to gamble on the reasoning that you are better than the other players at the table you have made a bad choice. All in all I like the play you made.

[Black Aces 518]

I think it's a good fold. Clearly you can accumulate chips by raising, as most of your raises have gone uncontested. Against just MP2, I can see a call or push. Once CO comes in, you aren't gonna win without showdown, so hang back and keep taking the chips in situations where you are the aggressor.