Stars Million crucial hand - AKs UTG+1 facing UTG standard raise

[r1base14]

Apologies for not having the converted hand history, but I am at work and this hand has been eating me up.

Blinds are 3K/6K 600 antes
UTG (about 108K in chips) raises to 18K (no reads, other than he hadn't been splashing around very much, so Ihave to give him credit for at least a decent hand, probably 77+ and AK-AQ).
I'm UTG+1, and I have him covered by like 12K or so, w AdKd.

I think for a while and push, reasoning that If I merely RR, I have to call a puch anyway, so it's better to push now to fold out the lesser of his holdings like 77-99, and possibly TT, no way he folds JJ+). I also didn't want to call and let someone squeeze push and possbily be in a 3 or 4 way all in confrontation (is this wrong of me w/ a suited AK?)

Thoughts?

Ryan

[Cornell Fiji]

77+/AQ+ represents 6% of total hands.
If he folds 77-TT/AQ to your shove then he is folding 50% of the hands that he raised with and you are 43% against his calling range.

In a vaccum, raising him is definitely +ev.

I think that a shove is a bit of an overbet in this spot so I don't really love it. I would prefer a raise to 55k which is probably more in tune with how you would play AA/KK. This will discourage people from coming in behind you with 88-JJ/AK and it will induce more folds from UTG when he holds 77-QQ (obviously he is folding QQ/JJ less than the other hands). If you raise to 55k you absolutely must call his shove (you should call even if he turns over KK).

Of course the flop play becomes tricky if he smooth calls you pf but avoiding difficult decisions is often not the optimal way to play the hand.

Sorry that he woke up with a monster this time around but the chance that he might have a monster does not mean that you should have just open folded your AKs preflop.

Also, you said that you did not want to call because you were afraid of a squeeze. Most people are very reluctant to squeeze an UTG raiser and an UTG+1 caller but if you think that the players behind you are going to have big squeezing ranges then it is massively +ev to induce such plays. You should love to have a 3-4 way all in confrontation with AKs as your hand plays very well in multiway pots.

[r1base14]

You know it's interesting. I'm realizing now that I definitely should have wanted to play the hand multiway, as my equity is drastically improved versus my contribution to the pot w AKs against several players. After reading your analysis, I think the optimal play would have been to call and re-evaluate on the flop, or, if we get squeezed, to stick it in mutliway. I don't know why I brain farted on trying to induce a squeeze...stinky. Seeing as how I've been playing tournaments for quite some time now and consider myself to be very knowledgeable, I am disappointed in myself for how I played the hand. I was, hoever, admittedly nervous, as I had never been this deep in a tournament of this stature (size and payouts). I just buffed it, plain and simple.

Thanks for the well-thought out reply!

Ryan

[BarryLyndon]

Raise to ~45K wouldn't be bad here.

Say you raise, flop comes out:

3d 9x 6s.

UTG checks, you?

Flop comes out:

6d 7c 8c

UTG checks, you?

Flop comes out:

Qd 9c 10s

UTG checks, you?

[skier_5]

very standard shove.

[eymon222]

the last 3 millions I plated in I placed in ITM each time. #998, #950, #554, 998 yesterday. anyways 2 times I was knocked out with AKs, & AKo,. both times I had an M of about 8, both times I reraised all-in pf. I just wonder how many more times I'm going to lose those races in the end game. Ithink I'm still going to play it the same way. got to win one sooner or later. I don't know if this is a major leak or not. Just wanted to let you know your not the only one questioining the push with AK. if you bet 45k-55k and he pushes how can you not call ? sorry for rambling I replay these hands in my own mind over and over.

eymon

[omaha]

Im thinking just to call, and see a flop.

I know sklansky and all of us love to shove, as do i if we have say pot or 3*pot, but here we have 5*pot.

Doyle seems to play his a bit more like a drawing hand, relying more on implied odds paying him off when he hits, as opposed to folding equity by shoving pf.

Normally, i rr AK, particularly when the raise is from lp. But some utg players can be extremely tight, and you are up against 10 10 + sometimes

[thebeebster]

i think how the rest of the table is playing is pretty huge here. we've all been on tables where there's a guy who can't help himself from squeezing no matter what. hell, often times we're the guy. the whole field has to act behind us. if you think you can call and close the action then i think taking a flop is fine. but the table dynamic should play into your decision.

[creeps]

I have a hard time RR All-in here w/ out the proper reads at the table. Seems at first glance like the right move, but after I analyze it more myself I think you are representing AK with blinking lights. All depends on my read on the player.

[yellowsub]

[ QUOTE ]
very standard shove.

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