55 while fairly short stacked ($20+2)

[AlexMorris]

This hand sickens me, but I don't know what I should have done. The previous hand I shoved with AQo on the button, and the hand before that I shoved with 98o from SB. Both times I was opening the pot and the blinds folded. No reads (excpet on UTG, which doesn't help here). This was a 9-player, $20+2 SNG with top 3 getting paid.

How would you have played this hand?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver Cards)

Hero (t1580)
Button (t2840)
SB (t1845)
BB (Villain) (t2940)
UTG (t4295)

Preflop: Hero is MP with , .
1 fold, Hero raises to t450, 2 folds, BB (Villain) calls t300.

Flop: (t975) , , (2 players)
Villain checks, Hero bets t600, Villain calls t600.

Turn: (t2175) (2 players)
Villain checks, Hero bets t530 (All-In), Villain calls t530.

River: (t3235) (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t3235

[taipan168]

I think I would have folded this one preflop from UTG+1 with 10x BB. Either that or shoved it - but without running through SNGPT I don't think it would be a +EV shove against most calling ranges. I'll try to run it in SNGPT later.

I really don't like standard raising here, but if you're going to standard raise and want to c-bet the flop (I would probably have wimped out and checked behind) I think you need to shove the flop rather than betting more than half your remaining stack.

[badgers]

Easy fold pre. As played I don't know what you can do other than shove the flop.

[drmcboy]

fold/push pre, I move in here but Tai is the go to for the ICM.

if for some reason you don't like that, raise no more than 400 then c-bet half pot then give up. Or move in, but I don't see why you would not shove pre then move in on this board.

Turn push is awful, what in the world can he fold now? Don't let the fact that you've already played bad make you play worse. you have 2-3 hands coming you may be able to open push and play a race with. You'd much rather get the last 500 in as a 70/30 dog than get it in here where you hopefully have two outs.

[taipan168]

I checked this in SNGPT, pushing or folding are around the same EV no matter what opps call with. Sometimes it's slightly positive (like +0.1%) sometimes slightly negative (-0.1%) but it hovers around zero.

If you believe you have a skill advantage over the other players, I would fold here, there's no need to take such a slim edge when better spots are likely to come in the future.

[AlexMorris]

Thanks guys, this is invaluable. Looks like I need to learn to open fold a small pocket pair in this spot.

Turn push is awful, what in the world can he fold now?

Yeah, that was pretty bad. I figured I had so much committed that I'd put the rest in and hope I catch gin on the river. Terrible decision...

[bjsaust]

I check flop and I'm done with the hand short of catching my 5. What exactly do you think his range is for calling you PF?

Preflop though you're square in p/f land.

[AlexMorris]

What exactly do you think his range is for calling you PF?

Ax, virtually all suited connectors, any pocket pair, any two cards above an 8. I could be wrong, but that was my gut feeling about his hand, and I was hoping the ace would scare away most of his range.

[bjsaust]

Readless I think you need to do a lot of work on your hand ranges...

[AlexMorris]

I had him on this range due to the fact that I shoved AI the previous two hands. I could easily be way off, but I figured he (and the rest of the table) were sick of my raising three straight hands.

[Jack Sawyer]

Don't like this.
Shove or fold pf, with more preference towards folding.

[GatorJH]

I had him on this range due to the fact that I shoved AI the previous two hands. I could easily be way off, but I figured he (and the rest of the table) were sick of my raising three straight hands.

This, combined with the fact that it is not sufficiently +EV make this an easy fold pre-flop.