a couple of preflop dilemmas

I think the first one is the one I stuggle with the most. Results to come later. What do you all think? Silverhead has been relatively loose. stakha has been fairly solid and perceptive of patterns - maybe he's recognizing silverhead as a lagg and putting him to the test with a marginal hand?

The 2nd one is just a ICM type of question.

PokerStars Game #5693372455: Tournament #28808980, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2006/07/26 - 21:15:28 (ET)
Table '28808980 1' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: cheesegram1 (3125 in chips)
Seat 2: Silverhead (1195 in chips)
Seat 4: stakha (3815 in chips)
Seat 5: FlyingSaucy (1330 in chips)
Seat 6: GMerle54 (1550 in chips)
Seat 8: allegheny83 (1355 in chips)
Seat 9: Dynamite, N (1130 in chips)
FlyingSaucy: posts small blind 25
GMerle54: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FlyingSaucy [8d 8s]
allegheny83 has timed out
allegheny83: folds
allegheny83 is sitting out
allegheny83 has returned
Dynamite, N: folds
cheesegram1: folds
Silverhead: raises 50 to 100
stakha: raises 200 to 300
FlyingSaucy:



PokerStars Game #5693629418: Tournament #28808980, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2006/07/26 - 21:35:14 (ET)
Table '28808980 1' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: cheesegram1 (2475 in chips)
Seat 4: stakha (5335 in chips)
Seat 5: FlyingSaucy (390 in chips)
Seat 6: GMerle54 (3665 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 8: allegheny83 (1030 in chips)
Seat 9: Dynamite, N (605 in chips)
stakha: posts small blind 75
FlyingSaucy: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FlyingSaucy [4c 5h]
GMerle54: folds
allegheny83: folds
Dynamite, N: raises 455 to 605 and is all-in
cheesegram1: folds
stakha: folds
FlyingSaucy:

First one: clear fold (had to learn that too, but it's important), you're behind most of the times because a reraise is either AK (flip) or a high pocket pair 1010+ (big dog). pp's are easily dominated. If you have lot's of chips you can try to hit your set and stack villain most of the time, but you still don't know if the first raiser is going to push, so I would stay out of this.

Edit: The concept is called "Gap Concept", Phil Gordon explains it very well.

Second one: Villain is desperate, he could do this with almost any two. Your cards are probably live, so a call is probably not totally off, you are dominated most of the time though). If suited I would call most likely, otherwise probably not. Kinda depends on your stack also...

Edit: I didn't realize you where that short. Here you have no choice but to call with any two, because next round the sb would eat another third of your stack and you would have less than 1bb left.

I remember beeing very short (like 3bb) and getting doubled up by the big blind who called me with 72 (they where SOOTED).

1 is fold - making fancy plays assuming another player is making a play is generally -EV, certainly in small $ SNGs.

You're almost sure to get called by one or the other if you push, and flip looks like the best case. If you had 2000+ I would like a push more.

2 - never get this short. Assuming you just lost a big pot. Of course you play, you have half your stack in. The fact it's the other shorty should make you rush to get your chips in.

To me the first hand is an easy fold. I don't understand what the difficulty is ... am I missing something? (I'm asking this seriously)

K, I guess you just helped me confirm my moves. I did think for a second that I had a chance with my 88 hand to make a move, but drmcboy pretty much dictated my thought process. Alright, alright courtie I'll try to come up with something more interesting. :)


FlyingSaucy: folds
GMerle54: calls 250
Silverhead: calls 200
*** FLOP *** [7s 9c Jc]
GMerle54: checks
Silverhead: checks
stakha: bets 400
GMerle54: raises 400 to 800
Silverhead: folds
stakha: calls 400
*** TURN *** [7s 9c Jc] [Kh]
GMerle54: checks
stakha: checks
*** RIVER *** [7s 9c Jc Kh] [Ks]
GMerle54: bets 200
stakha: folds
GMerle54 collected 2525 from pot
GMerle54: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2525 | Rake 0
Board [7s 9c Jc Kh Ks]
Seat 1: cheesegram1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: Silverhead folded on the Flop
Seat 4: stakha (button) folded on the River
Seat 5: FlyingSaucy (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: GMerle54 (big blind) collected (2525)
Seat 8: allegheny83 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Dynamite, N folded before Flop (didn't bet)




FlyingSaucy: calls 240 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [3d 2c 9c]
*** TURN *** [3d 2c 9c] [Ac]
*** RIVER *** [3d 2c 9c Ac] [4s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FlyingSaucy: shows [4c 5h] (a straight, Ace to Five)
Dynamite, N: shows [Js Jc] (a pair of Jacks)
FlyingSaucy collected 855 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 855 | Rake 0
Board [3d 2c 9c Ac 4s]
Seat 1: cheesegram1 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: stakha (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: FlyingSaucy (big blind) showed [4c 5h] and won (855) with a straight, Ace to Five
Seat 6: GMerle54 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: allegheny83 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Dynamite, N showed [Js Jc] and lost with a pair of Jacks

I fold the first one and call the 2nd one.
In the first hand the reraiser is not going anywhere, as already said, flipping or behind you have no reason to call.

In the 2nd hand you have no choice but to call, you are probably 2:1 dog or worse, but you simply have no choice