Proper push, or awful play??

[mntbikr15]

A friend of mine made the final table of the 200 Party tourny the other day. However, was the shortstack going in. Had around 60000 chips with blinds of 10K/5K, there was an ante but I dont remember what it was.

Anyway I dont have the hand history but after folding the first 8 or 9 hands she picked up AQo in the SB, MP raised to 35K and she pushed, having around 45K if she folded. MP calls, turns over KK, and she is out in 10 place.

My question is was this an easy push or was folding and waiting for a better spot the proper play. From what I had seen of the table there was not much stealing going on and looking back she was almost certainly a dog, or at BEST a coinflip. Would this be the proper spot to take a coinflip with a full rotation there as an option if you fold.

Any advice would be appriciated.

Thanks,
Evan

[Lurshy]

It is close on going either way. So either play not horrible IMHO.

My thinking... If she thinks MP is stealing, this is a decent push. AQ not too shabby when you are short stacked, though plenty of hands could be ahead of it. She is dominated by 4 hands - AA, AK, KK, QQ and behind all other PPs though close to coin flip. If she waits, she will be crippled, w/basically only all-in moves in her aresenal, and will most likely survive only another orbit or two without getting real lucky. However at that level, each move up is a big bump in pay, and in two orbits she could move up another spot or two. I know everyone 'plays to win' but probably a big pay difference between 10th and 8th.

I would prefer to push preflop with a PP and be 1st in, but the MP raise certainly looks like a steal. If that is the read, push, but if the read is he is a rock, fold and wait. I likely Push.