$4 NLHE MTT: KAo MP

[Ambur]

poker stars, $4 Buy-in (250/500 blinds, 60 ante) No Limit Hold'em Tournament, 9 Players

MP2: 8/4 limp 6
MP3: 21/21 limp 0
CO: 8/8 limp 0
BTN: 24/24 limp 0
SB 20/20 limp 0
BB 4/4 limp 0

hero M:6,7

SB: 7,560 (15.1 bb)
BB: 22,412 (44.8 bb)
UTG+1: 23,170 (46.3 bb)
UTG+2: 9,952 (19.9 bb)
Hero (MP1): 8,610 (17.2 bb)
MP2: 9,349 (18.7 bb)
MP3: 6,290 (12.6 bb)
CO: 3,086 (6.2 bb)
BTN: 30,824 (61.6 bb)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A

K

2 folds, hero?

What is your game plan? We are in mid position and we have 17bb left? - should we shove right now or should make standard bet! Or someone really would like to limp KAo MP - have seen this alot, seems like new trend nowadays ?

 

[Poker Orifice]

With stack sizes of players left to act, I think r/c might be best. (open shoving is fine too but I think r/c is better).

 

[bremensha]

A bet of half of your stack looks fine to me. So you get the odds to shove in the rest on the flop without even looking. A standard raise brings you in serious trouble if you get a call and don't hit on the flop. A C-bet on the flop doesn't have the full power as you are small stacked now.

 

[suby_rafael]

I would go for a standard raise as with 17 bb we are should be looking for some action so should not mind getting called. Open shove is also fine. :sheep:

A standard raise increases the chances of mistakes from anyone at the table as we can get 3bet from weaker hands which otherwise might choose to fold if we open shove. Please do not limp here as that would be considered as the worst option from the three by most players.

 

[WiZZiM]

yep r/c looks best here, especially since the players left to act are either tight or look like they might have decent 3betting type stats (23/23 type players tend to also 3bet a lot)

 

[Jacki Burkhart]

Standard raise and be happy to get it in preflop and on most flops. For instance if I get 1 caller out of the blinds and they check to me I'll just jam like 90% of flops.

Don't limp. Terrible idea. Just because you see others adopting this move doesn't mean you should too.

 

[hffjd2000]

Auto shove my friend.

This is a perfect condition for the "first in vigorish" concept.

Short term, we lose but long term, its a profitable play I believe.

 

[dj11]

Yup, even I will go along with the slightly larger opening raise and the r/c, with a definite willingness to get it all in.

Also good with the all in opening.

There could be situations/player evaluations where a limp might be good, but those will be unique to how the table is playing. Because there are big stacks in both the BTN and the BB, this probably isn't one of those situations.

If the overall stacks behind you are less threatening, or better, you have the big stack at the table, a limp is not totally absurd, but that isn't the case here.

Show the willingness to get it in.

 

[atlantafalcons0]

In these awkward spots I like to raise half my stack and 100% jam the flop no matter what. Like a stop and go....

 

[Ambur]

Interesting thoughts, thanks for comments!

I think all depends on our goals and ability - risk/reward should be balanced somehow!

 

[Jacki Burkhart]

In these awkward spots I like to raise half my stack and 100% jam the flop no matter what. Like a stop and go....

I'm wondering why doing this would be better than just open jamming?

 

[HooDooKoo]

I'm wondering why doing this would be better than just open jamming?

It's not.

-HooDooKoo

 

[WiZZiM]

yeh the Go and go has little to no merit in this spot. It's best reserved for sub 10bb stacks and being OOP so you can jam flops first if you get flatted.

 

[atlantafalcons0]

I'm wondering why doing this would be better than just open jamming?

Just mixing it up...

It's not.

-HooDooKoo

I know

 

[Jacki Burkhart]

I used to think "mixing it up" was an ok reason to do things. For instance even original Harrington books suggest "mixing it up" like 10% of the time deviating from the standard max +EV line.

I think mixing it up has a lot more value in cash games than in tournaments where it is more likely that you end up playing more than 500 hands with the same opponents. I think in tourneys you should strive to always take the +EV line and don't worry about disguising your play or your ranges so much.

This was a leak I actualy plugged after reading that annie duke book "decide to play great poker". Now, I do not actually love annie duke too much but I thought that was a really good book and it improved my game a lot. And she speaks to the thought process error of "mixing it up" and why it generally just costs you money.

 

[atlantafalcons0]

Either way, all my chips are going in.

 

[lilu80]

When my stack is <M8 I start push phaze and push this AKo.

 

[Jblocher1]

R/c. Shoving isn't awful though

 

[Jacki Burkhart]

R/c. Shoving isn't awful though

I agree. It's totally fine but I think you would make a standard raise, not raise half your stack.

Line A: shove pre. When you want to keep it simple and take it down. Also preferable if you've previously been jamming a lot.

Line B: standard raise and then call/shove preflop or on flop. When you want a little more action than just winning the blinds. Preferable if you've previously been tight, or previously been standard raising a lot.

Both are totally fine and equally good depending on my recent behavior. I'd let "game flow" break the tie for me here.