Is this an easy laydown?

[GatorJH]

Villian was ultra tight (less than 10% VPIP), but had just recently started playing more hands. I put him on a fairly narrow range of cards but am still unsure if folding is the correct play here. Your thoughts?

Poker Stars
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t100/t200
4 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
GatorJH: t5470
Button: t2435
SB: t3465
BB: t2130

Pre-flop: (4 players) GatorJH is UTG with A J
GatorJH raises to t800, 2 folds, BB raises all-in t2130.
GatorJH ?????

[mcatdog]

I'm confused, why on earth wouldn't you call this immediately? You're getting the right pot odds even if he has KK.

[Staresy]

You're getting the right pot odds even if he has KK.

pot odds hit me straight away too. You are getting ~2.3:1 to call this. Plus you have the stack to absorb the hit even if you lose. Who knows, BB flips TT and it's off to the races ...

[FlyingSaucy]

Pot odds are the least of your concerns here. ICM is far more important than pot odds here. You aren't playing for chips, you're playing for money.

A few things to consider.

First, his stack is smaller, you can afford to take a risk of doubling him up and busting your stack down to 3000 or so. Having 3000 is not the end of the world for you.

Do you think it is likely that he has the impression that you are stealing his blind? If so, that's a call. The range of hands that push over the top when you think someone is on a blind steal is a bit wider than the range when, say, he is on the button.

BB is on the bubble, feeling the pressure of the blinds coming around fast. He probably assumes you're a good player, and will realize "Wow, he is willing to risk bubbling out here. He must have a hand." However, that doesn't mean he's got one of the select few hands that dominate you.


These factors add up to me - Call.

[GatorJH]

OK, That's what I thought as well, but started secong guessing myself when I called and he flipped over AA.


Thanks guys

[GatorJH]

Unfortunately, that hand got into my head and about 10 hands later made the worst laydown I have ever made as this should have been at a minimum an easy call - agreed?

Poker Stars
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t100/t200
(Ante: t25)
4 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: t3060
Button: t3390
SB: t3085
GatorJH: t3965

Pre-flop: (4 players) GatorJH is BB with J T
2 folds, SB raises to t500, GatorJH calls t200.

Flop: K 4 T (t1100, 2 players)
SB bets t600.
GatorJH Folds

[mcatdog]

If you're second-guessing yourself, it should be for initially raising to 800 and not 600, which wouldn't have committed you to this pot. When the blinds are this big, I think the 4 BB raise is excessive unless you have a specific reason for doing so. I've actually started raising to just 2.5 BB a lot, because I've noticed that very few players react differently to a 2.5 BB raise than they do to a 3 BB raise.

[GatorJH]

If you're second-guessing yourself, it should be for initially raising to 800 and not 600, which wouldn't have committed you to this pot. When the blinds are this big, I think the 4 BB raise is excessive unless you have a specific reason for doing so. I've actually started raising to just 2.5 BB a lot, because I've noticed that very few players react differently to a 2.5 BB raise than they do to a 3 BB raise.

That's a great point. I think one leak in my game lately is that I have gotten caught up in the "play less hands but play them aggressively" mode. You are correct in that at this blind level a 2.5xBB raise would accomplish the same thing that a 4xBB raise would earlier in the game.

Thanks for the feedback