We are 40 players off the prizes , AKo was dealt to us UTG. The table was fairly passive.
This ia an auto open shove for me in most cases but yesterday I was talking with a friend of mine and he was telling me that I should have open folded due to the nice min cash (around 8.5 euro/up top ~400euro).
I am not the player who seeks the min cash , I have the mentality ''go strong or go home''.

I thing that even the bigger stacks don't have an easy call - why risk losing a big portion of their stack to a call?!(I was playing 19/12 and RFI Early Position 8% in 129 hands)

I don't have ICM ranges so I decided to post it here in order to write me your opinions guys!

iPoker - 1,400/2,800 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 30.4 BB
SB: 26.5 BB
BB: 27.21 BB
Hero (UTG): 11.87 BB
UTG+1: 54.56 BB
MP: 15.43 BB
MP+1: 13.24 BB
CO: 14.09 BB

8 players post ante of 0.08 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.13 BB) Hero has K♠ A♦

I'm glad you posted all the stack sizes at the table.

If we shove here from UTG with our 12 big blinds, there's only 2 seats we're really worried about, the 54 bb stack, and the button's stack. We're not worried about the other smaller stacks because they should either be playing super tight with the bubble approaching, or else they should be willing to get it in and double themselves up with quite a few hands that we're either dominating or else we're flipping against pairs.

So there's really only 2 seats to worry about, and I submit that the 30 bb button will not want to call our shove and lose, which will drop them down to 18 big blinds. So the button should be super tight here as well. The only real fear is if that 54 bb stack calls us, but I'm more than willing to take that chance in order to steal the blinds which will earn us enough to get us thru the next orbit.

I shove here all day and all night, and I'm happy about it even if the small blind wakes up with AA. LOL

If I have a very good hand with 15 big blinds, and the UTG with 12 big blinds shoves, most likely i'm gonna fold my hand because I never want to be left with just 3 bigs, I'd rather fold my good hand here and wait for a spot where I can open the action instead. That's why I don't worry about the smaller stacks at the table here, they are gonna basically be folding everything except top 5% hands and those are just a cooler if we happen to run into one of those premiums. The two blinds will be risking half their already-small stacks to call us, and I don't think they call us very often for that reason.

Jamming AK here and picking up the blinds and antes will ensure, that you have chips to pay for the next orbit. And when you get action, its certainly not the end of the world either. There will be some hands like AQ, which you dominate, and there will be a lot of pocket pairs, where you have 42-45% equity with an overlay from the blinds and antes. A 26BB stack will give you must more playability and chance to continue in the tournament, and getting to raise first in with AK from any seat is as good a chance to dubble up, as you will realistically get. Maybe we can discuss, what to do with AJ from early position, but open folding AK would be insanely nitty.

AK is relatively no decision jam here with 12 BB and also with the blinds hitting us the next two hands. 40 away from the money is still somewhat far so I would not even consider nitting sweaters to get there being this far away (if that is even your thing to try to min cash). Personally My jam range here is 88+ and A10 suited+. I am not sure what the solvers say or if my range is tight, normal or loose for this. I do know that I cant see a reason to ever fold AQ+ and 1010+ in this spot. Just too short of a stack and also too far from any monetary gain by folding those hands so AK is easily a jam. This is also a jam where I probably actually want to get called since unless I am against AA or KK here I am not doing all that bad and plenty of worse hands (some of which AK crush) that call here.

Min cash is important for me too, but if its in my bankroll, I can replace the safety with the fact that going deeper in money is actually more profitable & necessary. But it depend from the situation that I'm put in the bubble.
This was one of the situations, when you were supposed to risk it. You had a fantastic position to scare away chipleader, and as small stacks most of the times would fold, maybe from last two guys would make a try on you. I think blinds could be stolen definitely, and even if someone calls you, you have a great chance to double-up here, and recieve bubble's end in a much better shape.

Thank you guys ! I won't tell my friend he is a fish

This is a pretty easy jam for me too. 40 spots is too far away from money for me to just fold to ensure a min cash. You aren't guaranteed to make it with 11 bb. I also wouldn't at all be concerned about that 54 BB stack calling you light unless he's been playing really loose. He's second to act in this hand and has to be concerned about your hand AND the hands of 6 other players...many of which can hurt his stack much more than your 11 bb. Like if 54 BB looks down at pocket 4s or JT suited, I frankly would be very surprised by a call. If 54 BB is on the button or one of the blinds, it's much more feasible that he might call light...but the hands that would be light call for him probably include a lot of worse aces and some worse kings...think A9 suited or KJ/KQ suited. Even going for a min cash, you want calls from those hands.

Originally Posted by kkonicke

I also wouldn't at all be concerned about that 54 BB stack calling you light unless he's been playing really loose.

And with AK we dont even mind it to much, if someone is calling loose. Sure we would rather not get called by hands like 22 or 65s, that have good equity against us. But if someone is calling those kind of hands, they are also calling a lot of AX and KX, and we are a 3:1 favourite against those hands.