[BradleyT]

I'm suprised the button didn't shove. If this were a $6.50 he only loses $.82 (4% equity) when UTG happens to win. And if UTG happens to win, the button can [continue] to steal the blinds since now everyone is between 4 and 6 big blinds and nobody wants 4th when everyone is so close in chips.

Also, when UTG wins the hand the two other stacks lose HUGE amounts of equity (up to 20%!!!!) and therefore they should be calling very liberally in order to knock the short stack out. Not only do they lose huge amounts of immediate equity just in chip values, they lose huge amounts of future equity from the big stacks blind stealing (which may or may not be the case - this particular big stack sounds like a pansy).

In this situation BB should be calling with any 4 cards (except quads or something like 9992). Reducing UTGs chances from 50% (or more) down to 33% is huge huge huge. Not to mention that if the BB gets a favorable flop or turn or river he can shove and win a T5000 pot which really gives him a shot at 1st.


To solve these types of questions you should play around with ICM a bit. You'll find that when you're 2nd or 3rd in chips and only have about 2x the amount of chips of the short stack you should want him eliminated very badly. And usually adding 1 caller to the hand reduces their chance of winning from 50% to 33% but does not proportionally increase their $$$$ EV. Of course some consideration needs to be given to how much it is to call and how many chips that will leave you with if you lose.