Coin Flip

[SamJake]

I play $10 short-handed NL. My question is: should I stay away from coin flip situations? For example, I will run across players who raise all-in pre-flop with any AK, AQ, AJ. I have a middle pair like 88 or 99. Is it better for me in the long run to fold or call these all-in's? Thanks for the advice. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[ticks]

In general I dont like getting all in with pairs other than KK/AA,
assuming 100bb stacks.

However, if I KNOW I am VERY likely to be a 50.0000000000000001% favorite I will call anything anywhere anytime.

[ATrain]

Add in dead money from the blinds, then it is a definite call. However, if they are pushing with AJ+ they are probably pushing with TT+ also, in which case you are way behind their range.

[GtrHtr]

AJ (villain) v 88 (hero) is not a coinflip technically. 88 is ahead enough here where it is profitable to make this play in the long run. Run the equity of 88 or 99 vs all types of Ax and Kx hands and you quickly get the idea. Plus what the other guy said about the blinds.

The problem is, you don't know they have Aface until they flip it over, and 88 v AA isn't a flip at all.

[Marshall28]

it depends on the way the hand is played out a lot.... if they open push or make any type of premature move all in, they generally wont have too strong of a hand ... in cases like these i like to call w/ any PP 88 or better and AQ or AK .. you will be ahead enough of the time in these situations for it to be profitable, and youll find out they are turning over hands like A4 J7 KQ quite a bit.

but if it goes something like, u raise it to .5 they raise it to 1.5 u raise it to 4 they push .. .thats a different story... not too many hands will be good in this situation.