GAP Theory

[the wheel]

Here is the situation: the game is no limit / tournment 25.00 buy in 300 / 600 blinds
stacks range from 3,600 to 24,000 my stack small and I am against the big stack.

UTG : folds
Player 1: calls the 600
player 2: bets 1200 AQs(huge stack 24,000)
player 3: folds
me : Ad,Js, short stacked all in
player 4: fold
player 5: fold
SB : folds (300)
BB : folds (600)
to call
UTG :folds
flop comes Kd,As,10x, turn 2s, river 3d

Question: Was I wrong to go all in in this situation?
Question: I want to read a good article on GAP theory and its applications,could someone help.

TW

[Pocketducks]

I think I would have folded preflop there. The gap theory is good and all, but I don't think it comes into play once an early position raises. At that point you have to wonder what he could raise with in early position. I would figure he would have AA KK or AK and I would fold as it's unlikely my AJ isn't dominated. Remember, you need a better hand to call a raise than you do to make a raise.

Phil Gordon's "Little Green Book" explains the gap theory quite well. He also does a free column on ESPN.com and one of them talks about GAP.

Good luck

[8502]

Ok wow. Folding AJ preflop with a tiny stack like this? And on top of all, it's the big stack that is raising. I am never folding here. I get it in there as quick as possible. The big stack usually don't have a better hand than me here but since he did, well thats the game.

I think you are just posting this since you lost. You did nothing wrong.

[cantloseon22]

as a tiny stack gap concept goes out the window....however i would have folded for another reason....you want to be first in the pot....HOH concept....i also want to have 2 live cards....too many hands have A or J in them..so I fold this...i rather have 72 than AJ in this instance to be perfectly honest....

[8502]

Harrington mean you want to have the first in vigorish only if your hands isn't strong enough. That's why he recommend pushing with T8o if you're first in the pot in LP. AJ with this stack surely is a push Harrington too.

[soko]

You had less than 2BB? I don't think the gap concept really applies here, any 2 would do as nobody would fold if you went all in and they had already entered the pot.

[elmitchbo]

with a stack that small you have no choice. the luxury of worrying about gap theory goes out the window when you're stack is almost nothing.

it'd be better to open raise all in with that hand than call, but you can't lay down AJ with a small stack. get lucky!!

[knife420]

your short stacked the range of hands big stack can be playing is probably fairly large, to often you will be good here or have a coin flip u can't really lay down

[xdmanx007]

well it looks like you have 6x the BB atm. Which is dead on the desperation border for me. Anything less than 6x and it is a nobrainer call. You didn't HAVE to call here but you quite likely would not have gotten a better chance b4 you got blinded out. You probably did the right thing but I don't think you were truely desperate until the next orbit.