$22 - Small suited one-gapper from the SB

[durron597]

A checkraise is scarier than an open push. I think a c/r is *more* likely to get a fold, not less.

And betting less than a push is even worse because of the times he just calls and the turn blanks.

[45suited]

The thing is, I don't agree with your assessment that you're almost certainly ahead. Villain mini-reraised PF. It would not be surprising if he has an overpair.

If all my chips are going in, I want them going in with the most FE. Seems to me that it is at least possible to get an overpair to fold (unlikely, I know), whereas the C/R is encouraging action.

I do agree that I don't like leading out. A flat call followed by a bad turn really sucks. And betting / folding to a raise is not an option either. I like to push and make him make a decision for his tournament life.

[durron597]

If I have an overpair, I am never ever ever folding to an open push. Even if it is 88.

On the other hand, I would at least consider the possibility of folding to a c/r with a hand like JJ. Never ever to an open push.

[bluefeet]

[ QUOTE ]
If I have an overpair, I am never ever ever folding to an open push. Even if it is 88.

On the other hand, I would at least consider the possibility of folding to a c/r with a hand like JJ. Never ever to an open push.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just a couple question w/ the c/r line:
- what if he pushes behind? obviously we've missed our opportunity to display "incredible strength". are we calling?
- what if he checks behind? are we pushing a blank turn still? attempting another c/r attempt? c/c?

PP or not, I think he's at least going to *blink* here, and *blink* some more, maybe request time and *blink* some more. I'm leaning toward the "put his tourney on the line, with a great chance to win the hand, life if we don't" camp.

[SoCalPat]

First off, some great responses. In addition, I'll try and answer the questions that some of you posed:

There were six players left. One player close to the felt, everyone else in decent shape. Lots of "intermediate" stacks, ie, roughly half of the big stack. Many of them were weak-tight. Way too much miniraising. Personally, I love this kind of game because my implied odds are so great. They'll put in that miniraise, but their play is mostly predictable post-flop, and they can't get away from their big PP. Getting away from WTPWK isn't a problem for me in no limit.

For example, I recently was in the BB with 79o and an EP raiser put in a mini-raise and got three callers. My stack was decent, so I called and got a flop of 997 which remained the nuts to the river, and I crippled the miniraiser holding KK ... and with an all-in bet on the river, no less.

But I digress.

Some clarification on my initial raise. Being in the SB, I needed 50 to complete. I made it 200 to go, meaning my opponent needed to only call 100. Instead he came back with the miniraise, making it 300 to go (I'm hoping I've got the proper usage of "to go" down here). Regardless, with only 100 more to see the flop, I'm not folding here.

The BB screwed up by not putting in a bigger raise. I'm turbomucking if he comes over the top all-in, and I couldn't even begin to rationalize calling off more than 100 in a raise to see the flop. I had some success in the last three orbits stealing from him. He should've gambled that I was willing to gamble with raise-worthy hands from the SB with my big stack.

I open-pushed the flop. My figuring was that, short of a set, I'm still in very good shape if I'm behind. If my opponent has AK or thereabouts, he's gotta be moved off this hand, unless he's got a bigger flush draw.

And what did the SB have? Nothing else but two black aces.

But it gets better. I make my flush on the turn, but it's with an ace. So now I've made my best possible hand, but he's got a huge redraw on me. But a black deuce hits on the river and MHIG.

I'm always loathe to chase heads-up. I'd much rather be the aggressor, and in this hand, with this flop, it seemed like the perfect time to be the aggressor.

And if I lost? I still had 9 BBs, and I've played from behind into the money with far less. Not the ideal situation, but given the best-case scenario with this hand, it was worth the gamble. Not only did I win the hand, but I carried a 7.5-1.5-1 advantage into the money and cruised to first.

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]

Just a couple question w/ the c/r line:
- what if he pushes behind? obviously we've missed our opportunity to display "incredible strength". are we calling?

[/ QUOTE ]

Unlikely, but call as a favorite with dead money. If he's pushing he prolly has a flush draw and we have a pair and dead outs.

[ QUOTE ]

- what if he checks behind? are we pushing a blank turn still? attempting another c/r attempt? c/c?

[/ QUOTE ]

I probably check call a bet where the math says I can, fold if I can't.

[ QUOTE ]

PP or not, I think he's at least going to *blink* here, and *blink* some more, maybe request time and *blink* some more. I'm leaning toward the "put his tourney on the line, with a great chance to win the hand, life if we don't" camp.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not saying pushing isn't +EV, it is. But check raising is MORE +EV.

[durron597]

Against AA you are getting all the money in on that flop anyway. But against AK you extract more with a checkraise.

Openpushing certainly isn't horrible.