$30+3 - Very difficult bubble hand

[Scuba Chuck]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (4 handed) converter

BB (t440)
UTG (t2425)
Hero (t1595)
SB (t3540)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">UTG raises to t500</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero ....... </font>,

The poll we've all been waiting for:

[curtains]

I definitely move allin. You have a powerhouse, and reasonable folding equity. I know it's painful when you bust here, as you will some of the time, but way too often you are going to be a 70%+ favorite against your opponent's hand.

[OPJayhawk]

I think the right play here goes against one of the "Rules of thumb" that you see here alot.

If you push all in the BB is going to release his hand most of the time. UTG now has odds to call to you and will do so most of the time especially with the BB with only 200 chips left. Even if you beat him he is still likely to take third.

The play here I think is too flat call the $500 and see if you hit the flop. When you flat call - now the BB has a tougher choice - he can call all of his chips too and face a possible 3 way check down or he can release and hope UTG busts you.

If the BB folds and you miss the flop and UTG leads into you you will prolly have to release your hand.

I know putting in 1/3 of your stack and then releasing it goes agasint what you usually read here, but I think in this case it is the right play.

PacmanFL

[nWirb]

Looks like the UTG wants to put the BB all in with a good king KJ+ or most likely a decent ace like A7.
I'd push here.

[curtains]

[ QUOTE ]
I think the right play here goes against one of the "Rules of thumb" that you see here alot.

If you push all in the BB is going to release his hand most of the time. UTG now has odds to call to you and will do so most of the time especially with the BB with only 200 chips left. Even if you beat him he is still likely to take third.

The play here I think is too flat call the $500 and see if you hit the flop. When you flat call - now the BB has a tougher choice - he can call all of his chips too and face a possible 3 way check down or he can release and hope UTG busts you.

If the BB folds and you miss the flop and UTG leads into you you will prolly have to release your hand.

I know putting in 1/3 of your stack and then releasing it goes agasint what you usually read here, but I think in this case it is the right play.

PacmanFL

[/ QUOTE ]


This might be a possible line.

[valenzuela]

What happens if SB decides to rock n roll( in other words push)

[john_]

I played a hand similiar to this one UTG with AQo. They flat called, BB folded and I pushed the ragged flop.

I'm torn between flat calling and pushing...I guess it would depend on my read of the player.

[J-Lo]

I thinkk thats why this is a clear push. If i was UTG, i would be raising w/ many hands, any A, and K, 2 cards bigger than T, any pocket pair, etc... so there are many more hands u dominate than dominate you. I think he's putting too much of his stack on the line to call here w/o a premium hand-- the only reason i feel this is a push rather than call--&gt; checkdown, is because SB should push many hands here if he feels there is much FE.

[Scuba Chuck]

Well, I pushed this hand. Villain flipped over pocket tens. It made me think that calling was a better answer.

What's most interesting to me is that of all my posts, this one is getting so little face time. I've had a few posts in the past in a similar scenario, with a hand of lesser value, and the most common answer then would be, "EZ fold, but if this was an AK, then that would be a more difficult decision."

Is it really that clear of a push? Perhaps I should have included a Stop-n-go as one of the options. AK is still a drawing hand right?

In terms of hand ranges villain calls me with, IMO, minimally, 50% of the hands in the range will be pairs.

[lastchance]

Calling seems to be awesome here, especially as you have AK (which either hits or misses) and not some weaker hand that will hit second pair or something or other.