$550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

$550 Live Tourney. 165 started, about 65 remain, top 18 pay. Blinds are 200/400 with 75 ante.

Hero is in BB with 6500 chips. Thinking maniac villain (who has raised 40%+ pots in last few orbits and shown good/marginal hands but hasn't called down anything stupid) is in cut-off and has Hero covered.

All fold to villain who makes it 1600 to go. Button and SB fold to Hero. Hero has 4c4s.

What's the action? Push? Fold? Call?

Edit: Hero's image has been solid, perhaps even tight due to being completely card dead the last few orbits.

Re: $550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

is his standard open to 4xbb, and what has he done when shoved on and holds a marinal hand? more info needed.

Re: $550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

He mixes it up. He min raises (no showdown), 3x and 4x with both good/marginal hands.

Re: $550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

This is kind of a [censored] spot. The problem is that you've got pretty much no fold equity here as you're shallow enough that villain's calling with any 2, but you've still probably got a +cEV shove due to the SB and antes. I'd guess that villain knew he was shutting you out from a resteal when he raised though, so I'd discount big pairs somewhat.

I guess I'd ask how the table has been playing. If they've all been playing weak-tight and you think you can get a bunch of easy steals later if you keep a tight image, then you can pass here and wait for a better spot, but usually you just have to push and take your chances. Calling's bad as we really have no idea what cards hit villain, could be anywhere from AK to 76.

Re: $550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

Either shove or stop n go ALL flops.

Re: $550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

i fold, probably shove over a 3x or a minraise though.

Re: $550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

personally i like the stop n go here... might confuse him enough to increase the likelihood of a fold on a blank flop... have to push/call on pretty well every flop though of course... that being said, if you're confident in your ability and don't feel the need to double up just yet then throw it away

Re: $550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

So I decided stop-n-go, but then I froze on a A33 board thinking my read that he's the type to raise with any Ace.

So I checked, and he bet less than half the pot, 1200 into a 4000+ pot. Now what?

I had about 4800 behind and he still has me covered of course.

Re: $550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

Exitonly, so what's your low end of the range of pocket pairs you would play instead of fold in this spot?

Re: $550 Live Tourney - Pocket 4\'s vs. Thinking Maniac
 

For me, it's a fold or a stop and go. I think resteal pushing really sucks with this hand.