Pushing BB after SB completes

housenuts · #1 10-14-2005, 07:50 PM

I think I do this way too often. It works about 95% of the time though so maybe times like this just happen. Is there a time I shouldn't do this?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (4 handed) converter

Hero (t2470)
UTG (t6075)
Button (t1325)
SB (t3630)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
2 folds, SB completes, Hero raises to t2445, SB calls t2045.

Flop: (t4765) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)

Turn: (t4765) 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)

River: (t4765) Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)

Final Pot: t4765

ace_in_the_hole · #2 10-14-2005, 08:02 PM

As with most plays, it depends on your read of the SB. If he has been playing tight I will respect or just call with a decent hand. Seeing a flop isn;t horrible since you ahve position and he will bet out most times. If I fold to a raise from the SB 1 or 2 times and he keeps coming, then I bust this out.

FlFishOn · #3 10-14-2005, 09:14 PM

I like the play. Make damn sure you hold something the third time around.

SonnyJay · #4 10-14-2005, 09:43 PM

I believe you have to push this. You are looking for opportunities to pick up pots preflop, and there is big implied weakness here. It's not like your stack is trivial to him; losing to you makes him a pretty short stack. He should be pushing you if he wants to play.

As for a situation that you shouldn't do this:
Hero (t3245)
UTG (t6075)
Button (t550)
SB (t3630)

Or, as the previous poster said, if you've been pulling this play a lot recently. You never want a call, but you really don't want a call here.

-SonnyJay

axeshigh · #5 10-14-2005, 10:18 PM

I think a time when you shouldn't do it is when you hold the worst hand in poker and there's a short stack on the bubble, like in your example.

SonnyJay · #6 10-14-2005, 10:41 PM

Definitely understand what you're saying axeshigh, but how often is he really calling here? Sure he may be trapping with a monster, but if he was going to call your all in with something like A9 or KJ why didn't he raise you to begin with? I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but you get a fold here more than you think.

For the times he's trapping you with AA, KK or the like: you are winning blinds enough times to make up for the times that he shows you a monster, in my opinion. It's not about how horrible your hand is, but how frequently he calls. If you haven't been making this play a lot, i think it's infrequent.

It's true that there's a short stack, but it's not so short that he's guaranteed to get called if he pushes. Just picking up the blinds pushes him to t2000. You can say "he only has 3 BB", but that's enough to have some FE. Plus, it's not like you're sitting on 12 BB. You need to find your spots too.

-SonnyJay

SoloAJ · #7 10-14-2005, 11:14 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I think a time when you shouldn't do it is when you hold the worst hand in poker and there's a short stack on the bubble, like in your example.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, lets at least say this is probably the WORST spot to do it outside something like him showing you two aces through the screen somehow. I don't incorporate this play into my game enough, so it is safe to say that I am biased in a bad way. But I don't think the push here is a good move. Not with that shortstack sitting there... You can always do it next time if the shorty doubles through.