Here's the situation:
Near the end of the first hour or early in the 2nd hour of a MTT. I have less than the starting stack of 1500 chips with say 1200 chips which leaves me with an M of 4 or 5. This usually leaves you with about half the current average stack. I pick up AKo in middle position. A player in front of me with average stack of 2500 chips raises 3xbb to 300 (1/4 of my stack). Let say the raiser is average, neither a nit or a maniac (although I'm not sure it matters). What's the right play?
- Fold? - I can't see this being right folding a hand this good with a smallish stack.
- Call? - I don't like this either. Calling off a 1/4 of my stack with live players behind me with a drawing hand can't be right. If I call and miss and then end up folding I'm in even worse shape than when the hand started.
- RR less than allin? - I don't like this as at least half my stack is then on the table and I'm pot committed and not getting away from the hand anyway.
- RR allin? - This is my default play. This play should deter anyone else from coming into the pot. I have fold equity in that it costs the villan a good chunk of his stack to call. If he folds, thats great as I've increased my stack by approx 40% and bought myself some time. If he calls, I'm probably against a middle pair in a coin flip race or better yet against a weaker ace. If I win, I'm chipped back up to average and back in the MTT.
Is my thinking right here? I welcome your feedback.