To preface this, at the ITM bubble I was down to 2k in chips. I win a domination (mine), another domination (his), and a race to amass 30k chips with an average chip count of 23kish - 17th place.

Now, I'm already guaranteed a wopping $54. I notice that not only are the chipstacks pretty heavy at the top, but the pay is pretty top heavy too. 17th pays $99.

So all that being said, I decide I'm going to play to win and not to just progress in cash.

I'm in the CO with A K (30,000 chips)
Dude to my immediate right is a 31/14 over 80ish hands with 39k chips, blinds are 600/1200 with 150 ante. He opens for 5400. To me, this is either a steal or a medium pair, and I'm leaning towards a steal. I shove.

Good, bad, ugly? Thoughts?

My thinking was that if I win this hand I'd be in about 3rd-4th place and in great position to take it down ($4700 for first).

Standard..Tons of fold equity, wayyyy ahead of his range from the cutoff, although PT stats mean nothing to me...but yeah easy push

Meh. You're on the bubble with a nice stack and you can pick on the average stacks with impunity - why race for your entire stack with one of the few guys who can knock you out? I smooth call and take a flop, play from there.

love it.

5400+3200= 8600 in pot.

I'd like to get a fold from 66-JJ here.
I'd also like to see all 5 cards vs TT-QQ.
AA/KK well, gg.
Getting a loose call from AQ who thinks you are shoving 88-JJ here enough to call for pot odds, is sweet bonus.

If I assigned weights to his hands and what he calls/folds a shove with and some likelyhood he pays off any bets on flop and turn, river if A/K hits, maybe I would come up with flat calling being better. But intially, I like the shove.

If you do not push i will find you and whack you over the head with a tuba.

Nah, ITM bubble has broken long ago. There are 47 remaining out of 830ish ITM broke at 81.

I don't like smooth calling because it's minimizing our equity since we are now limited to the 1 in 3 chance to pair up on the flop. However, I guess I could pick up some bluff cards (like a queen) in position, but even still I like the push against his perceived range, just need a little re-enforcement.

Nice play – results?

Results:
Dude obviously tanks. He didn't insta fold, so he has medium pp. I actually kinda want a call in this case, so I type in the chat "I'm here to win," as a few others at the table were kinda o.0 about my play. I think that hinted dude enough to what my hand was and he calls with JJ. I lose, but am not that disappointed. Just about 20 minutes prior to that hand I had 2k chips. Still debating as whether or not I should have said anything in chat.

you don't want a call from a pp.
that I know.

LMAO funny quote - anyways I don't think you should say anything in the chat unless you WANT a call - in this case you didn't so I wouldn't have said anything.

Well, in a picture-esque wet-dream world, I want a call from A2os =P, but I'm not really that disappointed from a call from a pocket pair, especially given a chance to launch into the top 5. I'll flip for it.

I'd tend to agree if the 5400 was not in the pot.
That overlay is enough to want a fold from a PP

This is pretty standard and you made the right move.

I don't think your comment mattered. He was calling with JJ anyway. I think I would have in his shoes. It's almost as standard as you pushing.

Look at your cards, count your chips slowly, ponder over your decision, and then calmly announce: "I'm all-in".

Pretty standard shove here.

JJ is what pays me off the most when I move in with QQ, KK, and AA...

Does anyone EVER laydown JJ in that spot?!?

read dependent.
default, yes.
I also raise less preflop with JJ, than 5400

I am wondering the same thing. I think I am playing a big pair the same way as I did this hand from now on. I'm just surprised at how often people call off all their chips with little invested in the pot with JJ.

Yes, definitely.


QQ is where I go in the tank....I can fold it too, but not often.

I like to push but i might have smooth called to see a flop.

Then what, we hit, and lose all action from any hands we beat, except for like AQ-AT, KQ, but, we lose all action from pairs, which we are flipping with.

Furthermore, if we get it in vs AQ-AT, KQ, etc preflop, that's an awesome result for us.

Even more, if we miss the flop, we risk being moved off the hand by a worse hand, AQ, etc.

Ya, I can't really see making a case for anything but shoving, and I almost never fold JJ in his spot either ( I also don't raise to 5400, wtf?)