Late 4/180: Raise AJs from EP, facing Push and Call

[Tackleberry]

PokerStars NL 4$/180, Blinds are 200/400 (8 handed), about 35 players remaining.

UTG (t2210)
Hero (t7285)
MP1 (t4091)
MP2 (t22032)
CO (t14958)
Button (t18792)
SB (t8065)
BB (t6497)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t1200</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 raises to t4066</font>, MP2 calls t4066, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero ??</font>

Opponents where not overly aggressive. Table was rather tight, most pots where won uncontested. I had been aggressive through the last four or five orbits. BigStack seems to be an aggressive, but reasonable player.

The odds are compelling here - what are you doing?

[killerbe123]

all in or fold.

im probably folding if i think the big stack has a hand. It you go all in the value is there for the big stack to call and then you are in a three way race with a hand that is looking for a flush.

[SuperUberBob]

Folding. The pot odds are good for calling. But by calling, you're basically playing for the rest of your stack. By calling 2866 more preflop, you're basically calling off the remaining 3200 you have as well. You either need to shove preflop or fold. I lean towards folding unless I'm up against two big-time suckers.

[jgunnip]

copy/paste from sttf response:

icky spot. standard pfr although I might make it 1100 instead. You're getting close to the money bubble so you have to play aggresively and try to pick up pots pf.

IF big stack didn't call the all in its an easy call. However with the cold caller you can't just call the flop and see what comes. You either have to just repush preflop or call pf and push an flop. Calling pf and folding sucks and leaves you with little FE.

I personally don't like either option very much and would just fold and play on with a 6k stack.

Reads on big stack would be v helpful. against some I'd repush pf

[Larude]

A fold IMHO, you have raised 3x the big blind and somebody has moved in for another 4000, and the chipleader calls. I would say this is a very very strong hand KK++ trying to get you to the point that you raise him all-in. Besides if you raise all-in he is going to call no mather what hand he has.

[All_In_Olly]

If the table is playing tight as you say then I fold and just continue to pick up pots in late position with steals and resteals.

[Tackleberry]

Thank you all guys for your quick answers!

You are all right. I obviously decided between fold and push. A flat-call was out of range.

I made the (obviously wrong) decision to push as I hoped to get enough equity for my odds and boost deep into the money when I won this hand. But getting effective 2:1 (when pushing and being called by the BigStack) isn´t enough when I´m up against at least one pair &gt; JJ.

So I´ll admit, a fold would have been better in this spot.

[Tackleberry]

By the way - as expected I faced 99 from MP1 and KK from MP2. No Ace came around and MP1 won with a set of 9s. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]