AKo in the BB, 600/1200

[Blindcurve]

This is a hand from a $3.30 MTT. I have no particular read on the MP2 villain; he hasn't done anything particularly poorly or well. The button villain has made a few open raises in late position, and only one was shown to be marginal and also plays well post-flop in position from what I've seen so far.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t1200 (9 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

<font color="#C00000">Hero (t30183)</font>
UTG (t25682)
UTG+1 (t5581)
MP1 (t18250)
MP2 (t22682)
MP3 (t38800)
CO (t12970)
<font color="#C00000">Button (t26887)</font>
SB (t9985)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP2 raises to t3600</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Button raises to t6000</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>,

Hero ???

[Blindcurve]

I don't know if this is crystal clear and uninteresting, or a tough decision. It took me a little less than 25 seconds to push this. I'm sure if I had found an A or K, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. But I think this situation is more precarious than it appears on the surface.

First, I correctly didn't put either villain on AA, or KK. I thought MP2 was on a wide reasonable range for an open from there. (A7s+, A9o+,KTs+, KJo+, 66+) I thought the button was more solid, but in position with a narrower range that included a lot of hands that I had beaten or tied. (ATs+, AJo+, KQs, 99+). I also thought about some platitudes like "AK need to see five cards" and "I'm OOP so I'll move in to eliminate my positional disadvatage. So I push, and if I get called, I'm probably in a race or have my opponent dominated.

I think this is pretty terrible. I don't think I have any FE against the button unless he's on a total bluff. If I get called for my entire stack (which covers both of my opponents), I'm almost certainly behind. If MP2 is holding an ace or king, I'm in even worse shape. It seems like I'm ahead of the ranges they would raise with, but behind the ranges that call off all of their chips, which I'd imagine tightens up to 99+, AQs+ AK. Which means that I should call and look at a flop rather than push in a situation where I'm pretty sure I'm behind.

Does this conjecture hold water?

[Requin]

It depends alot on what you've seen button minraise with. For some players its only AA/KK, for others its crap that they are trying to 'take control' with. Barring a read, I won't give credit to button for only having AA/KK here. So I'd push. MP, as you said, has a wide range and doesn't worry me too much. And you're wrong about having no fold equity against button, he should be folding alot of hands to your sizable push.

[sunrise]

I think I'm either folding or calling. I'm not terribly fond of racing, and it's a near certainty one of them has a pair. Perhaps I'm too conservative, but with the stack you've got I'm sure there's a better spot in which to push an AK, especially offsuit. Unless I have a really good read and know that I'm ahead, or it's a coinflip situation. And yeah if mp2 is raising with AK, or AQ, and the villain has say, KK, QQ, or JJ, then you're drawing very thin. I've laid down AK before when there was a caller behind me, and then someone pushed. Actually two of us laid down AK, which in hindsight was great since we only would have had 4 outs had we called.

So yeah, call, and hope mp2 doesn't push :P

[flyingmoose]

At such a small buy-in I won't assume a min-reraise is a monster unless I've seen the player min-raise with monsters before. Assuming MP2 folds to your shove, you'll have plenty of dead money to race for and there's a decent chance you're ahead. Poooosh.

[Marwan]

I probably push here. With a distinctive read I could see myself folding, but without it and the dead money in the pot I'd make sure to see all 5 cards and get rid of position

[MaddHatter]

Normally I would re-raise to t20-25k, but with the size of the stacks, a Push is the best decision IMO - Button looks like a normal steal and I don't give credit for it.

[seke2]

I'm trying to decide where I'm good enough to fold AK here. I think I am. Or at least good enough not to push.

Button does NOT look like a normal steal, a normal steal for him would have been a push or a real reraise, not a minreraise. That looks like a hand that doesn't mind more action. I don't think he does that with AQ. So I think you're looking at a high pair or AK from Button.

I'm pretty sure if you push, button is calling. He isn't very deep-stacked and that bet has put about 25% of his chips in on a reraise. That screams a big hand to me. I don't think Hero has much FE agaisnt him. Add to the that the fact that we don't have much info on MP2 but he made a normal raise as well and could have any legitimate raising hand.

I think if we could be guaranteed that this pot would play 3-ways, I'd push. I think there's a good chance Hero would have over 40% equity to triple up. But I think if you push, you probably just get called by button and you're flipping against him at best.

I think I can fold here. Not happily. I suppose I might just flat-call and bet hard on any A-high or K-high flop and fold otherwise, since this is "only" 20% of Hero's stack.