The Squeeze Trap

[alimousine]

I am new to the forum but have been playing MTTs for quite some time. I am curious about your thoughts on a play I employ sometimes and see it used by opponents more frequently nowadays.

I will try to illustrate with an example: late in a MTT, 4,000/8,000/400, you have an above average stack of 190,000, MP2 who was very active and probably on a steal makes it 24k to go with 200k more behind, folded to you and you look down at AA on the CO. You have been pretty active yourself as well. Both the SB and the BB are thinking players and have about 100k each. You sense that there is a strong likelihood that either the SB or the BB will shove here in an attempt to squeeze if you flat call. You flat call instead of shoving, thus setting up a "squeeze trap".

I note that this play is very read-dependent. If SB or BB (or button) do not shove/raise as you expect, you are risking to (i) give MP2 the chance to see flop for cheap (also losing the opportunity to extract more from him preflop) (ii) give other players yet to act the chance to get in for 24k and end-up playing the hand 3-4 handed (although you will have the advantage of having a well disguised hand in both cases). In return if your play works you are looking at stacking an isolated SB or BB and maybe even the MP2 will join in.

Do you think this play is profitable in the long run? Obv I dont mean how profitable it wld be to always flat call with AA/KK instead of raising, but in cases where there is a strong likelihood that someone will shove after you. How sure should you be of your read to make this play profitable? What about AK on the same spot?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

alimousine.

[Bonified]

I've been doing this for a while. It's not quite as profitable as it was when Harrington was all the rage and everyone was trying the squeeze play, but it's definitely an option, and with KK and QQ too. Doesn't work so well with AK, and if you try with KK/QQ, get no extra action and flop an Ace then you have to be disciplined enough to let it go most of time.

Another one is to make a big over-raise that looks like an AK squeeze when you have KK or AA after a raise and a flat call. It's all about staying one step ahead. As you say, more people are doing it now so it's becoming a little less effective.

Personally I think 4-betting light in the CO after being reraised by the blind is the new squeeze raising :-)

[alimousine]

I agree that trends emerge in the quest to outlevel the field and they become less profitable as more ppl follow such trends. One might argue that this is a cycle and at some point we will all go back to square one - basic mtt strategy since it will be the most unexpected/profitable strategy... nah, maybe not. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Mingdu]

This thread has good info

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...e=0#Post9464696

[james129]

I think this is a good play because even if the BB doesn't push he may call with just pot odds and make a move if he hits any piece of the flop....mp2 calls and it allows you to reraise MP2 off the hand. It exposes your aces to a lot of dangerous hands but if it works gives you a huge chip lead.