Would you have played it different?

$5 3k guarantee turbo rebuy tournament, down to final table and 5 players left.

blinds 20k, 40k antes 4k

starting stacks

sb(me) 164,448
bb 205,873
utg 157,472
utg+1 1,025,959
dealer 1,209,248

Play folds around to me in the small blind sitting with As2s I moved all in Called by bb who had Jh8s.

How many places pay? If you are already in the money easy shove imho. 4 BBs is any A,K, suited, connected, not quite atc but close enough. Good luck.

Yeah itm already $284 for 5th a little over a grand for 1st.

every player on the planet would disagree with me, but A rag is the only hand NOT to shove there...too much chance your caller has a bigger A. 2 7off? Yes, absolutely shove. Maybe it's OK, since only 1 possible caller, though.

Oh, and whether you're already in the money yet or not is meaningless.

This is a very clear shove imo.
you only have 4 big blinds left, so I don't see how you can ever fold an ace here.
Also, villain has only a little over 5 big blinds, and I really HATE his call becaus of ICM.
You should push extremely wide here, like the top 80% of your hands (unless he calls any 2 of the bb, which it seems he does, but that's just horrible);
UTG has less than 4 bb's left, and the BB is on him next, this means he'll probably call a very wide range from the BB, and so there's a big chance he goes out next, and then both you and villain jump the payladder

So yes, shove here against most regulars, But if you know he's calling really wide from the sb, than you might indeed consider folding because you don't want to flip, given the fact that UTG is so short.

SHOVE 100% of the time here. You don't have many choices with 4 big blinds. Might be the best hand u see for the rest of the game. U never know

Jblocher1 said:

SHOVE 100% of the time here. You don't have many choices with 4 big blinds. Might be the best hand u see for the rest of the game. U never know

Click to expand...

& not just this ^

We're in SB w 4bb's, BB has 4bb's.
This is a super easy shove here.

I'd shove with only 4 BB and only 1 caller left.

Be glad you're in this situation.
Button has 1.2M and folds.
Very rarely with those stacks to your right it will be folded to you in the SB, and now it does you wake up with A2s.
Clearly a shove.
Chances BB will wake up with an Ace or pocket pair are slim, and besides, as already mentioned, you have 4 BB left , so what else can you do ?
Only, just only , if one step up in prizes is extremely important to you, you might consider a fold, hoping 1 of the other shorties will be eliminated in 1 of the next hands.
Remember though, this might be your last opportunity to get it in good.

Do you think it was a terrible call from the BB? ... Perhaps he considers only 2 players he could call without going all-in and get a lil ground on the leaders...

So he'd call with absolutely anything in that regard in hoping to get the short stacks out and try and build up before he goes into 3 way

might not be the best hand to call SB with but noneoftheless it's strategic and any 2 cards can win at this stage... Eventually the BB will end up in the same boat so at this stage his call was ez.. it was you or him that had to build up the stack to stand half a chance at winning. You want to get it in against the weak and who knows once you take out those other small stacks a few hands in a row of timing can be crucial to win the tournament.

That's my 2 cents.

You are extremely short stacked, it's a nice hand to go all-in on this situation.
I'm surprised that BB calls, because his hand is not very strong, putting himself in risk of being crippled.

easy shov, as played

Aces2w1n said:

Do you think it was a terrible call from the BB? ... Perhaps he considers only 2 players he could call without going all-in and get a lil ground on the leaders...

So he'd call with absolutely anything in that regard in hoping to get the short stacks out and try and build up before he goes into 3 way

might not be the best hand to call SB with but noneoftheless it's strategic and any 2 cards can win at this stage... Eventually the BB will end up in the same boat so at this stage his call was ez.. it was you or him that had to build up the stack to stand half a chance at winning. You want to get it in against the weak and who knows once you take out those other small stacks a few hands in a row of timing can be crucial to win the tournament.

That's my 2 cents.

Click to expand...

I honestly think that's a bad strategy,
You never want to gii being behind unless you get great pot odds.
Also, Again, UTG being so short should really narrow up his calling range.

I agree that it was the best move with a short stack. The fact that you got it in good just lends credence to that belief. Sometimes the poker Gods can be cruel but at least they saw fit to protect you until that moment. Nice job!

I will do the same thing next time in this situation, was just wondering if anyone saw something I didn't. BB calling with his J 8 off is not something I would have done, easy fold for me there, the two of us had next to nothing for history and nothing for him to get any read like I was just trying to steal the blinds. Oh well lost the hand but nice cash so cheese on my Whoppers for a while!

shame on you for even 2nd guessing yourself on this. this has auto shove written all over it. i wouldnt have hesitated. you were right to no doubts

zingbust said:

every player on the planet would disagree with me, but A rag is the only hand NOT to shove there...too much chance your caller has a bigger A. 2 7off? Yes, absolutely shove. Maybe it's OK, since only 1 possible caller, though.

Oh, and whether you're already in the money yet or not is meaningless.

Click to expand...

Agree. Wait for a better hand. Making a big bet that is a few times the blind is just as effective here. If a player isn't about to call your all in he probably wouldn't have called a 3xbb bet either.

Happens alot in online tourney play but I try to avoid it at all costs.

I am always looking for another opinion, may not agree with it but seeing something from different perspective can be helpful.

zingbust said:

every player on the planet would disagree with me, but A rag is the only hand NOT to shove there...too much chance your caller has a bigger A. 2 7off? Yes, absolutely shove. Maybe it's OK, since only 1 possible caller, though.

Oh, and whether you're already in the money yet or not is meaningless.

Click to expand...

Wait, you fold A2s, but shove 72o here? WTF?

4 BB and 5 BB stacks there is no "playing poker". You are just gambling. His 5 BB call while in the BB is standard. No chips to maneuver, no time to wait. 3 of the 5 players left have 5 BB or less.

All in atc, easy shove there.
As far as bb calling, you have to expect a call there, only 5bb's bleeding 4k every round that far away from top two stacks and bottom 3 being that even in stacks, he's prob. not playing for 3rd

cander128 said:

I will do the same thing next time in this situation, was just wondering if anyone saw something I didn't. BB calling with his J 8 off is not something I would have done, easy fold for me there, the two of us had next to nothing for history and nothing for him to get any read like I was just trying to steal the blinds. Oh well lost the hand but nice cash so cheese on my Whoppers for a while!

Click to expand...

SB should be shoving ATC's.
Yah the player in UTG is also very short but when you say you would not call here if you were BB with J8o, what range would you make this call with?
(note: BB is getting 2to1, & knowing SB 'should' be shoving atc's.... )

Also, BB winning the hand will increase his stack to where he will actually have FE on future shoves vs. other two bigger stacks.

cander128 said:

I am always looking for another opinion, may not agree with it but seeing something from different perspective can be helpful.

Click to expand...

how about...shove long before you are down to 4bbs, what were your last 12 hands you folded??
did you shove vs bb last orbit?

With that stack you gotta shove.

Bro you need to shove that hand BVB all day long. I mean in all reality you wanted a call from J8. You weren't going anywhere unless you doubled up, and A2 is the favorite BvB I would guess more than 70% of the time. The real problem I think, is the fact that you let yourself get so short. Even if you were to have doubled there, you would have still needed a double to get the game HU. It is pretty difficult to win 2 double up hands in a row. When you get under 20 bbs it is time to worry. Under 10 is panic time. I would suggest you look into simple ICM and Nash theory.... it will help give you a little more perspective. You were a little unlucky, but you wanted and needed that call all day long.