How -EV is this call?

[Jibba]

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Thank you for the reply.

The reason I ended up calling is because I thought he pushes with any J, 10, or KQ here. (Q-9, or two low flush cards I dismissed because he would have dumped it before the flop. Yes, even to a minraise). A-J crossed my mind, but of course I wasn't concerned because I had that tied (although he was freerolling in my case); anyway, I had that on the low spectrum because I thought he would have shoved PF.

It all goes back to the minraise I realize, although it plays out faster post-flop if I raise to 1200 or 1600. Personally, I don't like shoving PF here. I think I am risking too much with the BB in his situation and my image at the table, which widens the SB and BB calling range.

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I think you're overestimating the risk you'd be putting yourself in with a preflop push. Even a beginner would be hard-pressed to call a push with AJ knowing that the short stack is just about to bust. And even then, there are only 3 hands you're extremely upset to see if he calls (and he held none of the 3). You just got unlucky on the turn and river.

And if you just refuse to push preflop, I think you have to at least raise to 3x. If he calls and pushes the flop in that scenario, your decision is much easier.