Late on strategy question

[Cloud]

I was in a STT (so it applies to a MTT as well), 3 left and myself and one other had a healthy lead over the other player (6500, 5000 - me, 2000). The blinds were 100/200. The big stack folds, I'm in the small blind and get dealt 77 - so I decide to put the small stack all-in - he calls. He turns over AK, and wins the coin flip. Then the other player criticises my play, saying that a raise would have done - and I could have got away from the hand if an Ace had come on the flop - which I do see. The problem is, I'm out of position and any flop is going to have overcards almost certainly - so if I do get called, I've given my opponent three cards to hit with. And in all probability, if I raise to 600 for example, surely it's an all-in or fold for my opponent anyway. So what do you think?? Bad play or the right play.

[Masterplan]

Re: Late on strategy question 77 vs a smallstack i'd play it exactly the same. 3 handed i'm not gonna fold 77, and i'm not going to give him the chance to hit cheap. so all in for him.

[GaF]

Re: Late on strategy question I'm happy with that - by shoving, you probably have about an 80% chance or so of winning the hand (adding in fold equity) - by shoving, it's not a coin flip for you at all!!!! 30% of the time you'll win 2100, 20% of the time you lose 1900, 50% of the time you win 300 (very VERY round figures!!) He's calling for his tournament life, you're not!!! (of course he HAS to call, knowing his cards, but when you make your decision you dont know that) He'd be reraising you pre flop anyway and youd call, so result is the same!!!

[slapdash]

Re: Late on strategy question Agree. With 77, you're not going to be a huge favourite against most hands he's likely to play after any kind of raise from you (a smaller pair, maybe, but not a larger pair or overcards). So you don't mind taking the pot right now, and he ought to play a lot fewer hands against an all-in bet than against a bet of 600 or so, when he can have some fold equity by raising all-in.

[Cloud]

Re: Late on strategy question Cheers Guys, At the time putting him all-in seemed the right move, but when another player criticises your play it does make you question it. I guess if my 77's had held up, the big stack wouldn't have said a word. Annoyingly I finished 2nd when the small stack and I ended up heads up (the critic bummed out in 3rd :nana ) and my JJ lost to 22 in a preflop all-in, when I was 8000 - 5500 up.

[mrmuzeman]

Re: Late on strategy question Forget him Cloud 100% correct play.

[AJ]

Re: Late on strategy question I'd make the play as well. It's not quite a coin flip, you were 55% fav. The big stack has no business commenting on your play, although for me, it shows a weakness in his game, shows he's happy to limp to 2nd place.

[robilaruk]

Re: Late on strategy question easy shove every day o f the week for mee - you raise to 800 and the flop is Q 10 4 rainbow - you check and he bets - now what? is he betting his AK or does he have a pair - you don't know get you chips in first and put pressure on him Damo

I was in a STT (so it applies to a MTT as well), 3 left and myself and one other had a healthy lead over the other player (6500, 5000 - me, 2000). The blinds were 100/200. The big stack folds, I'm in the small blind and get dealt 77 - so I decide to put the small stack all-in - he calls. He turns over AK, and wins the coin flip. Then the other player criticises my play, saying that a raise would have done - and I could have got away from the hand if an Ace had come on the flop - which I do see. The problem is, I'm out of position and any flop is going to have overcards almost certainly - so if I do get called, I've given my opponent three cards to hit with. And in all probability, if I raise to 600 for example, surely it's an all-in or fold for my opponent anyway. So what do you think?? Bad play or the right play.

[Billboard]

Re: Late on strategy question you'd be preflop favourite of course up against AK but why risk doubling him up when the blinds and antes are up for grabs. I'd have put a small raise in to test the waters....he's short stacked as is bound to push with AK Ok you have your answer, fold and save some chips.

[Jaded]

Re: Late on strategy question

I'd have put a small raise in to test the waters....he's short stacked as is bound to push with AK Ok you have your answer, fold and save some chips.

He's also bound to push with a lot of hands you're ahead of by more than 55-45, though.

[Tweetypie05]

Re: Late on strategy question Nice question and one I have thought back over several times after losing with a good hand! Personally, I'm with you Cloud and most of you guys... the shove makes sense... agression is key in an STT more so than an MTT in my opinion. When you put in a smaller bet it gets called more often and your mid-pair will be in doubt post-flop a lot of times. A post-flop shove may well then be called by a hand that would not have called the all-in but that has hit on the flop. Alternatively, if you have a medium pair and a bad flop hits then a semi-bluff can scare people off who have K high on an A board or A high with a K board. So it can go either way. The problem occurs when you have alkeady pot-commited yourself and the wrong flop comes down. That's when you wish you had shoved it all in pre-flop! The number of times I have been rivered with a big pocket pair going all-in preflop is annoying. Especially when the flop comes down 6,2,J rainbow and you have QQ only to see an Ace on the river and the other guy turns over A4s or something! Teach me for getting short-stacked! In your case he was always going to call and so would you pre-flop if he re-raised you... well, probably. Nothing wrong but the result!