Blinds at 100/200
My stack is 2000
UTG
A8o

should I fold here?
What if the blinds are 150/300?

I really don't know what I should do here...

Unless the table is shorthanded, insta-fold for either case. A push will get called by someone, who most likely has a better hand.

Any antes yet? With the blinds coming up, you are going to be in the danger zone (especially at 150/300, and very especially with antes) if your blinds get raised while holding unplayable hands. And if someone does raise your blind and you play back at them, they are most likely priced in to calling, so you better have a good hand. If you just lose your blinds, you are in late position with a short stack, which means you will need everyone to fold around to you to gain the first-in vigorish. Most likely someone will enter in front of you and you'll still need a good hand to play with.

Short story, I probably push with the A8. But I'd also like to know the stack sizes of the blinds...

I fold at 100/200 - I push at 150/300. When my M drops below 5, I'm looking for a playable hand to push. A8o is marginal but it makes my grade at 150/300.

You probably have a bit more fold equity from UTG but of course you have to hope that no one at the table was dealt a strong hand.

I don't like the push in this situation with A8 because most of the hands that call have me severely dominated. I'd rather push with a 'worse' hand, but at least be pretty likely to have two live cards if I do get called.

Are you in or close to the money? Are there other stacks in your situation or worse? Full table or short handed?

Have you or has anyone else been pushing? How has the table responded to them, tight or loose?

What kind of stack do the button and blinds have?

Totally devoid of information the only things I know is I have first in vigorish and I have an A. I push with either set of blinds. The only reason I might hold back in the 100/2o0 situation is if the blinds are increasing right after they pass me. Then it may be worthwhile to hold off the push to pick up the extra $150.

With the info given, which is minimal, this is an easy fold.

Thanks for the replies, nice to see no flames at all! Also, I think in the future I'm not going to push this hand with that stack & blinds utg unless the table is tight as a 14y old.

Anyhow, here are some answers some of you asked:

1. Only one 'massive' stack at the table; 14k, he's the button.
Others were in the range of 4-8k, IIRC blinds had 4-5k each.

2. 300 left, 50 paid.. so not even near the money.


3. "Have you or has anyone else been pushing? How has the table responded to them, tight or loose?"

This is my second hand at this table, just got moved to it.

4. no antes yet




I did push this hand, and got called by utg+2 with QQ. It doesn't matter, but if someone wanted to know...

With the smaler blinds, that far from the money and with the big stack on the button I think I would take the E-dog line here....min-raise.

UTG a min-raise still has some folding equity, it doesnt commit a huge amount of chips, and if an A flops you can push with a lot of folding equity because a big A is probably going to have re-raised pre-flop. A min-raise from a short stack UTG is going to look like a monster to some people, espeically those that would be inclined to push with that stack.

The bigger blinds I still push.