Home: Defending blind with A-T: stack size issue.

[larrondo]

Fifteen players to start (OK, so it's a 1.5 table tournament, but it didn't seem appropriate to the MTT forum, and plays a lot like a STT.) Pays three places. There are still 11 left in the tournament. My table has six left. I've just taken a bit of a beating when my top pair ran into a set, and I'm down to 2100 in chips. Blinds are 75 and 150, so my M according to Harrington is 5.6. It's folded around to the button, who seems fairly tight, certainly not a maniac, who open raises for 400. Small blind folds, I look down and see ATo. If I call, I'm out of position and my stack is 1,700 with 875 in the pot.

Are we in push-land? Folding seems weak, but anything else seems to put my in an awkward position. Suggestions?

Thanks.

[jedi]

[ QUOTE ]
Fifteen players to start (OK, so it's a 1.5 table tournament, but it didn't seem appropriate to the MTT forum, and plays a lot like a STT.) Pays three places. There are still 11 left in the tournament. My table has six left. I've just taken a bit of a beating when my top pair ran into a set, and I'm down to 2100 in chips. Blinds are 75 and 150, so my M according to Harrington is 5.6. It's folded around to the button, who seems fairly tight, certainly not a maniac, who open raises for 400. Small blind folds, I look down and see ATo. If I call, I'm out of position and my stack is 1,700 with 875 in the pot.

Are we in push-land? Folding seems weak, but anything else seems to put my in an awkward position. Suggestions?

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

ATo isn't any good against a fairly tight opponent. Push vs. a maniac. Fold given your read.

[RRizGod]

with no read, i'm folding.

If my read is that he has been doing this alot, I'm pushing.

[Slim Pickens]

Your only two options are push or fold. ATo is absolutely unplayable OOP in a big pot with a short stack. As you described it, it sounds like you're very likely to get a fold from a better hand like 44 or AJo. If you think there's any chance he'd fold something as strong as 88 or AQ, push for sure.

[larrondo]

Another thing worth mentioning, I suppose, is that when another player busts, the two tables will combine. So my M will go up again, when it becomes a 10 player table. However, the blinds will be going up to 100-200 shortly, as well, so my M will probably be hovering around 6.6 for the next level.

[DeuceSeven]

Another important question would be how often has villain opened from late position? I play a tag style but open with all kinds of crap in lp. Readless, I reluctantly fold.

[Slim Pickens]

People don't like talking about M here. It's actually a great metric. The problem is, Harrington's SNG advice is pretty terrible, so people don't like using his number to describe them. Just stick to giving the stack sizes, blinds, and antes. Talking about your "M" will just get you ignored here, as a lot of MTT donkament players give bad advice on STTs when trying to treat them as MTTs.

Also, I agree with your assessment that your tournament plays much more like an STT than a MTT, despite technically being two tables.

[larrondo]

Thanks for the advice. I'll just keep my M's to myself. I'm curious how Harrington's advice misses the mark. I'll peruse the STT forums for clues. I don't play STT's all that much, and only home games when I do.