157 replies to this topic

[DanielNegreanu]

Ok, so you are playing a one table quickstart online and have 1100 in chips left with blinds at 100-200. There are five players left and 8000 in play so you are behind obviously. You are on the button with A-7 offsuit and everyone else folds. The small blind has 650 left and the big blind has 2200. Would you:

[Ed]

I think I would raise. The small blind is probably going to fold, thinking that if a battle breaks out between me and the BB, I might go broke and he can back into a higher spot with no risk. The BB may be thinking that I'm stealing and call with Q-10, K-J, or even Kx or Qx. I can't see a scenario where you get 2 callers, and I'm not sure that you'll get re-raised, so I probably got the Ace heads up and even if I was pushed all-in on a re-raise by the BB, I'd probably make my stand right there.

[NormanHaupt]

Raise, attempt a steal. The short stack is likely to follow- even with a bad hand in an online tourney. Its a good chance to get some chips with your A7... lol my no limit game sucks

[Awful]

DanielNegreanu said:

Ok, so you are playing a one table quickstart  online and have 1100 in chips left with blinds at 100-200.   There are five players left and 8000 in play so you are behind obviously.  You are on the button with A-7 offsuit and everyone else folds.  The small blind has 650 left and the big blind has 2200.  Would you:

In all honesty, I'd like to know what level this is (assume expert play, or the failings of lower-buy-in SNG players), and the relative stacks that have folded, because of its impact on the Big Blind's decision-making... he's getting close to the danger zone of 10xBB but, he also has over the average stack. The distribution of the other 2 stacks is pretty important to the willingness of the BB to look for races or knock-outs.From this info, my gut reaction is to push. SB needs a big hand to call all in vs. open-pushing, and BB risks 1/2 his stack when he's in at least 3rd already, and probably wishes to conserve his ITM finish. Gamble on neither having a monster (which will be the case often enough), and don't let them have an opportunity to play-back or resteal which would tempt them on the minraise.Minraise is 400/1100, or 38% of your stack, so it's pot-committing anyways.If you see them call, prepare to say adios, but a push has a very strong chance of getting much-needed blinds, and beats whatever else you could do here.

[KDawgCometh]

I'd push in. Chances are you have the best hand, but your really looking to just take the blinds. If you raise the minimum and get reraised back your gonna probably have to put your chips in anyway due to the pot odds so you might as well do it right here

[NormanHaupt]

I swear when I replied that all in option wasn't there :(Yes, I'd probably go all in on it, too.

[reraise]

I think you gotta push. A min raise leaves you with 700. Are you commited to pushing on the flop. What if he plays back at you.I guess you could say that you may goad the SB or BB into making a mistake by pushing with a KJo ir something, but I think you're happy with the blinds here. I'd rather min raise with a stronger hand.

[DiverDown4]

I would go all in, the sb is pretty much all in with anything, the BB has a tough choice, if he calls and wins, hes in great shape, if he loses, hes down to 900 and the low stack 1 away from cashing. If its heads up wtih the SB, even if you lose, youre still in, but in bad shape. Even with a-7 off, youre not dominated by many hands. Even with kk, you can catch an A, 77, a flush, or even a 4 card straight. So I would say push it all!

[poker_bull]

I originally said move all in, but after thinking about it a little more, I'd probably fold the hand. Granted you are on the button and less than 10x the BB, but still you only have the 102nd best hand possible in Hold'Em. I'd play it conservatively until the blinds come around again. Chances are, you'll find a better hand than A7o.

[Awful]

poker_bull said:

I originally said move all in, but after thinking about it a little more, I'd probably fold the hand.  Granted you are on the button and less than 10x the BB, but still you only have the 102nd best hand possible in Hold'Em.  I'd play it conservatively until the blinds come around again.  Chances are, you'll find a better hand than A7o.

102nd best?you're only behind the 13 pairs, and the 6 better aces. so you're holding #20 as far as just the ranks of the cards go for this situation. Hell, there are only 91 hands, or 169 if you distinguish between suited and offsuit, IIRC.Just wondering how you got that ranking, especially since this is a hand that will run purely hot and cold

[alexquigley]

....guess I'm the loser than decided to fold. I just figured it'd look too much like a button steal, and get called by something slightly better. I also thought I'd have another chance to get a better hand, and get in the top 3. Now, if this were a winner-take-all table, I'd be all-in, but I assumed otherwise.

[Mr2jt]

My first instinct is that this is a fold or All-in hand. Since there is no real point in either calling or raising the minimun. I think that you can get a better hand in the next 10 hands or so, so A-7o isn't really a very good hand considering that the SB might wake up w/ a bigger Ace, and the BB pretty much will fold anyways unless he had you beat.So the real threat is SB in my opinion. And he might call w/ almost any hand that have a chance to beat your Ace high.So my conclusion is fold and wait for a better hand.

[the_stein]

wow... there can be a reasonable arguement made on all those. I would honestly make my decision basesd on my image and other peoples image at the table and also the flow of the table (ex: is it all in or fold everyhand, are showdowns still happening, etc.)

[elkang]

Yay for quizes! Anytime Daniel.The standard play is to move all-in. A7x is a strong hand 5 handed - worth a play for the pot.There is 300 in the pot and you are raising it up to 1100. SB must go all in to call, so won't without a real strong hand - he gets many more chances to wait for a good hand and you may get knocked out right now. BB is your worry, but BB must call with half his stack. So, you have a good chance (70%) to take the pot right there and can still win about 1/3 the time with a caller. Forgive my fuzzy math without showing any "work".300 may not be much but it is almost a 1/3 of your stack and pays for another orbit. Your stack is too small for anything but an all-in move and you seriously need to get some chips. You were in position and got good cards. Take it down.

[TarHeelAce]

Gotta move all-in here. Those blinds represent a significant chunk of your stack, so you need that money. You have a hand that beats two average hands. Plus, only the big blind can bust you, and he is probably concerned with conserving his chips at this point. Being that you're in late position with little opposition, you have to push.

[Dane]

Yeah the allin is the standard play, looks and feels like a steal, BB would have to have a hand to make a call here, I cant see him call and risk half his stack for a 200 blind, SB is low on chips and might call with a so so hand, or he could be staying tight and hope to fold his way to the money, but thats a chance you have to take if if you play to win.

[Hardrocker]

It's either fold or all-in, and I would rather be the bettor than the caller.All-in it is.

[Wilderness]

I voted for all-in as well.I certainly don't think you can just call or min-raise, you have too short of a stack for that and if the BB re-raises you then you're going to have to call that anyway so put the pressure on him.I'd like to know is how those two players have been playing. Has the SB been trying to fold into the money? Did the SB just take a bad beat or make a bad play and lose most of their stack? Has the BB been playing aggressively or also trying to slide into the money? What are the stack sizes of the other 2 players left at the table?The BB has a little more than 1/4 of the chips in play, so even though the blinds are getting to be big relative to his stack size, and even though he may very well just put you on a steal, I think it will be hard for him to call your all-in without a fairly good hand. He's probably in 2nd or 3rd chip position and won't likely want to risk that on a marginal hand. The SB, if not trying to fold into the money (which depends on the other 2 stack sizes probably) may call all-in with any A-x, big suited connectors, or any PP if he thinks you are stealing and he has a good chance to double up on you. But even if he does wake up to a good hand, as long as the BB folds (which I think is likely) then at least you won't be eliminated yet.

[Rushmore]

First post ever. I'm giddy with excitement. Push. You're likely to have the best hand here, and there are no bubble concerns or unique player situations, so mucking's out. Limping can't be right. There is money in the middle that increases your stack by 25%. You need to go after at least that much. Any raise other than a mini-raise puts more than half of your chips in the middle anyway. Push. That's the end of my first post ever. It was everything I had hoped it would be...and MORE. :twisted:

[Skydancing8]

I only move in because its 2 out of the money and players are tight right now anyways (for the most part) 2 more people have to go out and you only have 5x the BB anyways. You need to move all in because the minimum raise isnt that strong of a raise. You can't raise 3x the BB because thats 60% of you stack, your all in anyways on the flop so it only makes sense to move all in pre flop?