What do you think of this push?

[Rockymv]

I'm trying to understand this push/fold business. Stars 25+2 turbo.

PokerStars Game #2125786550: Tournament #10181812, Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2005/07/17 - 18:51:02 (ET)
Table '10181812 1' Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: warmile (2155 in chips)
Seat 2: chops87 (3620 in chips)
Seat 3: nickmilo (4575 in chips)
Seat 4: Rockymv (940 in chips)
Seat 5: Nkthegrinder (835 in chips)
Seat 7: brett32 (1375 in chips)
Nkthegrinder: posts small blind 75
brett32: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Rockymv [As 8h]
warmile: folds
chops87: calls 150
nickmilo: folds
Rockymv: raises 790 to 940 and is all-in
Nkthegrinder: folds
brett32: folds
chops87: calls 790
*** FLOP *** [6h 9c 5s]
*** TURN *** [6h 9c 5s] [Kc]
*** RIVER *** [6h 9c 5s Kc] [Ks]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
chops87: shows [7c 7h] (two pair, Kings and Sevens)
Rockymv: shows [As 8h] (a pair of Kings)
chops87 collected 2105 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2105 | Rake 0
Board [6h 9c 5s Kc Ks]
Seat 1: warmile folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: chops87 showed [7c 7h] and won (2105) with two pair, Kings and Sevens
Seat 3: nickmilo folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Rockymv (button) showed [As 8h] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 5: Nkthegrinder (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: brett32 (big blind) folded before Flop

[a500lbgorilla]

standard.

-'rilla

[bair]

no offense but you shouldnt be playing $25 sngs if you have to ask this

[fjuanl]

The ideal place to be pushing this is when your the first one to open the pot and your in late position. Don't force it, wait for a better spot. This would be fine if a bigstack didn't limp in from UTG+1.

[bair]

shortstack on the button w/ 1 limper with A8, hes not going to get a better spot than that.

[dr3wfish]

agreed. You're short stacked and you have a hand that you can and should push with. The only problem here is you are pushing against the big stack. If he limps from the UTG+1 you have to put him on a half decent hand and your all-in just isnt enough to push him off. Good play, just bad timing. I generally push against stacks that are closer or smaller to my own stack size.

[drmcboy]

PUSH

[straight167]

you should have just bet enough for the other guy to call...i dont think he would have re-raised ya with pocket 7s. I think he would have folded if you would have bet after the first king then went all-in on the 2nd king.

[Wet_DreaMer]

I would have waited; afterall cowardly passive poker is what wins tournaments. =/

Seriously though, it looks like such a steal, your not in too much danger on the button here. Wait and defend your blinds.

And I would agree that perhaps you shouldnt be playing such a high level if your asking this... possibly a live player converted to online?

$40 live SnG is roughly equivalent to a $1 SnG online in my exp.

[ihategnomes]

standard.

-'rilla

Quoted for truth. Raising just enough so he calls is pointless. You have no folding equity due to the stacks. A8 is not a "showdown" hand. Good move.

[ilikeaces86]

easy push.

[dr3wfish]

quote: 'cowardly passive poker is what wins tournaments'

are you kidding me!!??

the only way to win SnGs is to get super aggressive once it gets down to 5-6 players - playing safe gets you nowhere. I thrive on players scared to bubble out, scared to call even a small raise unless they hold AA KK. Get in there, raise big win big.

Read this post I just put up, it shows some aggressiveness and players willing to fold b/c they fear the bubble http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...=126987#126987.

[drmcboy]

I think he would have folded if you would have bet after the first king then went all-in on the 2nd king.

True, but thinking this guy is checking that flop is just goofy. A8 is not a hand you want to try and play post flop here... or generally ever.

Wait and defend your blinds.

what does this even mean?

[ihategnomes]

the only way to win SnGs is to get super aggressive once it gets down to 5-6 players - playing safe gets you nowhere. I thrive on players scared to bubble out, scared to call even a small raise unless they hold AA KK. Get in there, raise big win big.

Your sort of right. I think the best play entails somewhere between tight agressive and super agressive. Its what I call the zen level. Your not raising too much, but enough to lean on players. Your picking your spots gradually building your stack. Eventually they will wear down, they will get bored, loose there patience and decide to push. Your job is to setup that push and take his chips.

Personally 4-5 handed is when I kick it up a knotch. But that is generally, it really depends on the other players stacks as much as your stacks and blinds do.

[Rockymv]

Well, the reason I'm playing this level is because I used to play the 55+5 (after 500 my roi was 15%). Now, however, I don't know what the hell's going on. I started with $2 a year ago and moved up as my bankroll allowed. When I had 1500 I moved up to the 55+5. Did great for a while, but now I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I no longer have the bankroll for 55+5 (it was a hell of a bad run, but much of it I had to withdraw, have to pay rent). Used to be this would be an automatic push. I'm on an extened bad bad streak. This has caused me to veer dangerously towards weak-tight. Harrington's bubble strat., is far more aggressive than I ever was. So I guess I just need some encouragement and to regrow some balls.