Defending Against a Resteal with a Big Stack

[RonFezBuddy]

I'd like to talk about defending against a resteal. I read the great strategy posts regarding how to and when to resteal but I've been looking for some ideas about when to fire back against what could possibly be a resteal. Specifically, what range of hands/stack size/position/reads make a call an option (I assume this is not optimal) or when is it appropriate to push back if you can, or just fold.

The following hand illustrates a time where i seriously consider defending against a resteal. This is the nightly FT $24 MTT. 1780 entrants and we are down to 55 players. I am currently 6th in chip stack for the entire tournament and have the biggest stack at my table.

I just stole the last two hands with A7 and K8. Of course, no one knows that because i took the blinds with 3x raises, but it's safe to say I can be viewed as aggressive. The villian who appears to be on a resteal is reasonably aggressive and has been playing as though he has knowledge of poker strategy. I think I even wrote a note that "steals are part of his toolbox".

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t1200/t2400
(Ante: t300)
8 players
Converter
Seat 1: Hero (94,364)
Seat 2: (34,456)
Seat 4: (64,653)
Seat 5: (81,836)
Seat 6: (40,934)
Seat 7: (46,948)
Seat 8: Villian (78,541)
Seat 9: (43,147)

Pre-flop: (8 players) Hero is MP2 with 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
3 folds, <font color="#cc0000">Hero raises to t7200</font>, 2 folds, <font color="#cc0000">SB raises to t24000</font>, BB folds, <font color="#cc0000">Hero? </font>

I am in MP2 with a reasonable hand here. I've been stealing so they think I could be doing this with air. When he comes over me I'm thinking he be restealing with 22+, A10 +, KQ+.

With that range, I'm thinking he has to fold anything less than 1010+, AK to an all-in push. If I am right, there's a lot of fold equity here.

If he calls, I am 50/50 to AK but dominated by the big pairs.

I have actually done a pokerstove/EV calculation and plan on getting your thoughts on that (I am still learning how do these calculations) but would prefer to get your general ideas about defending to a resteal before getting mathematical.

So, what are your thoughts about defending to this resteal by pushing all-in? Should I go for it or do you lay down the hand here?

[4CardStraight]

Wow. This just plain sucks.

I think theres got to be a decent chance this is a total resteal with something you have crushed... but yet the raise size makes it almost impossible for him to fold if you shove. You really dont want to call, thats pretty clear to me... I think you havent gotten any replies because this really is a toughie.

I guess I probably fold it, since playing for all my stack where theres a decent chance I am a 20/80 dog isnt a good spot to be in at all.

I mean even if he has total total total air like T8o, he is getting decent enough odds to call if you shove, and you arent that huge a favorite.

Sucks, but muck em.

[TFGoose]

I agree with 4CardStraight. Furthermore, correct me if I'm wrong, but most people don't resteal out of the SB. Whatever he is raising with, it probably isn't air. He still has the BB behind him, so I'm thinking his hand is pretty good.

I would estimate that you are probably a small favorite in this hand at best, and you don't need to take a chance and gamble with the second stack at the table. Muck your pair and relax your raises for an orbit or two.

--TFGoose

[Popped Rod]

I would go into the tank, THEN fold, and type "I hate Jacks" in the chat box.

Seriously, unless your read is dead on, there is no reason to get involved with another big stack with a middle pair. This may be viewed as weak but I think you worked too hard to get such a large stack to bleed it away on such a marginal hand.

Villain has committed 1/3 of his stack and would be an idiot to muck to your reraise, so I don't think you have to FE you think you do.

I'm not against racing, but you have to consider that if your lost the coinflip, it would only leave you with 6bb's with the blinds hitting youn next.

Sometimes you have to fold the best hand to eventually win a tournament.

[RonFezBuddy]

[ QUOTE ]

Villain has committed 1/3 of his stack and would be an idiot to muck to your reraise, so I don't think you have to FE you think you do.


[/ QUOTE ]

I think this comment is crucial to the analysis. Based on his raise, how would you adjust the range I put him on?

[Fiksdal]

Very tough hand. I don't hate a push, because you might fold hands like 88-TT, A7+, KT+, QT+. MIGHT though.

Seriously, villain isn't getting THAT great odds. Still, I need a read that villain is capable of laydowns, or that his raise was very likely a pure resteal to make this play. I'd typically just fold.

[ QUOTE ]

I would go into the tank, THEN fold, and type "I hate Jacks" in the chat box.


[/ QUOTE ]
LOL... If you do this you are begging to get pwned and bullied with later.

[Mr.Poker]

I think this is a pretty easy lay down. There are quite a few reasons for this:

1. I don't think this looks like a resteal particularly. The player is in the SB and is raising the big stack on the table, I expect this to be a pretty tight range of hands.

2. Unless he has complete air, he is not folding here after raising a third of his stack, therefore the mid pairs are not folding which means you will be racing or dominated.

3. We have a great chip stack and can use it much more profitably then pushing this very marginal spot here. You are in a great position to steal and resteal at will and leverage this stack.

4. If you read that summary, it talks about in the later stages that it is the number of pots you win that you enter that is important, not winning massive pots. There isno need to take this gamble here, bully the medium stacks, dont try and take flips with the bigger stacks.

there are probably a few other reasons that im forgetting but thats some pretty important ones to start.

[0evg0]

totally dependent on buyin

if this is $50+ shove is fine

otherwise fold

and if villain has J3o or any kind of air (he wouldn't do this with like QJs if he's smart, do you see why?) then he's not getting the correct odds and is in no way committed here.

[RonFezBuddy]

[ QUOTE ]
totally dependent on buyin

if this is $50+ shove is fine

otherwise fold


[/ QUOTE ]
It was a $24. I shoved, villian had 99 and he won unimproved.

[ QUOTE ]
he wouldn't do this with like QJs if he's smart, do you see why?

[/ QUOTE ]
Because QJ is too easily dominated?

[ QUOTE ]

I don't think this looks like a resteal particularly. The player is in the SB

[/ QUOTE ]
You're right. Between this and your other points, I see why folding would have been the correct move.

I'm not asking for a hard fast rule, but generally what conditions should be present when considering whether to shove in response to a resteal from the BB?