Please explain push-fold mode

[pat3392]

I don't know when i should go into this mode. Some say 10 blinds, others 13. I did some math and worked out that at 5 blinds if you call you are actually losing on average, and that's assuming you will win every time you hit! Most places In play at I am the only one who goes all in when I get short. Other players seem to wait for some decent cards or call to see where they're at instead(if they're in the small blind for example)

I am starting to question the usefullness of push-fold mode, as I get into a lot of trouble doing it. It just is so risky. When Should I push-fold?

Just the other night, one player got to the final table with 2 blinds. She didn't make any moves as she wasn't getting anything. When she sat down she was UTG. She got J2 and I would have went all in, thinking that If I don't go all in now I will have to go all in on the blind, where I would probably have a worse hand. If I did my move, I would have ran into decent cards and bust. The next move she had crap cards, like 47 or something. Only one player called and she checked, whereas I might of went all in, thinking that I really needed to chip up. The flop came and she paired, her opponent checked she went all in and he folded. 10 minutes later she somehow won the damn tournament. She said she got A8 twice in a row and went all in and doubled up.

So, is playing a more passive game better until I get decent cards for a push?

Another thing, if I pushed when I had 10 blinds everyone would just fold, so I would make little money on my decent hands. If I just sit back and only play 1 out every 15 hands or something, and those hands I would be an all in, I would lose money overall anyway(to the blinds), unless someone decided to call and I holded up.

By the way, I play at lots of turbo tournaments, where most players have are extremely short stacked (15 blinds is average around half way through the tournament)

[drmcboy]

read HOH2

quick answer is yes, push fold is good, and yes, live players suck at it and don't get it at all. you might be better off min raising when you have over 10BBs, try it out.

[fulksy]

a lot of times the reason you push instead of raise is that your are pot committed when you raise and some one shoves over, or calls and either you or he bets the flop. + pushing increases your FE. you don't necessarily need to push your monsters (eg. KK/AA) but know that when raising your generally pot committed if your <10BB so be looking to get it in on the flop if someone calls.

also when the blinds are super high you need to steal blinds and shoving gives you the most FE. and as i said, if say you have 7 BB and standard raise 3xBB to steal the blinds and one shoves over your commited to call so you minus well shove in the first place(>FE).

when you say playing only one in 15 hands you loose money. if you have less then >10BB you should be shoving wider in late position. so if your taking advantage of those opportunities to steal you should be playing more then 1 in 15 hands

obviously knowing when to shove and when not to is the most important part but in general the push/fold mode with >10 BB is the most effective strategy.

in such turbo tournies having a strong push/fold game is probably your best asset

[Figment]

General strategy is 10-12 BBs or less means you should be shoving.

I like to expand that out to 12-15 BBs being shoved over 2+ limpers if I'm in late position. You get fold equity that is fairly strong due to your raise size, and your stack should still represent a large portion of their stack. While it is reliable against the limpers, be aware the blinds can pick up a big hand behind you.

I make this move with 77+ or AJ+ because often if a limper does call your raise they have a medium pocket pair, AJs or worse.