500NL Live: 2 hands from same B&M table -- awkward stack sizes

[Stonewalled]

Sorry for posting 2 hands together, but it's from the same table, pretty close together in time with the same players.

2/5 MGM Grand Detroit, 10-handed.

<u>First Hand</u>
Initial raiser and coldcaller are both pretty good, but will not play big pots without very strong hands. Villain is loose pre-flop, decent post, kind of passive. He just lost a couple of substantial pots -- one was to me when I 3-barreled him on a scary board, and he folded the river very, very reluctantly. He has $350, and I have him covered.

The table has had a lot of action -- when big pre-flop initial raises get called, many behind also call, creating huge multiway pots. I have a TAG image for sure, playing few pots but playing them very aggro.

Hero has AKo in MP.

Preflop: 1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $20, 1 fold, UTG+3 calls, Hero raises to $80, 3 folds, Villain (SB) calls and says "I'm on tilt, I'll give you some action" and I kind of believed him, UTG+1 folds, UTG+3 folds.

Flop: 567 rainbow (2 players) ($200 pot) (Villain has $270 left)
Villain checks, Hero ???

<u>Second hand</u>
Same table, same descriptions. Preflop raiser is very tight and solid. I have $200. There are 3 guys directly behind me who are wild loose/passive, and will almost certainly call if I call preflop (and maybe even if I don't).

I'm in the small blind with 99.

Preflop: 4 callers and some folds, co raises to $30, button calls, Hero calls, 4 others call.

Flop: 862 rainbow (7 players) ($210 pot) (Hero has $170 left)
Hero ???

[D_Lonnigan]

First hand I check.
Second hand I RR preflop. As played I shove.

[Albert Moulton]

Hand 1: push.

You would push with AA and KK and QQ. You should play AK the same way. He could easily have a hand like JTs or even KQs or AXs or whatever. He might have 99-TT and be unwilling to put it all in on the flop. Who knows? I think you have represented a big pair preflop. You have a tight image. The pot is about the size of his remaining stack (and you have him covered). You are heads up, and villain checked the flop (either because he's weak, or he's looking to CRAI). You should use that image (and the fold equity that comes along with it), and push the flop. If he calls with 1-pair, then at least you have 6 outs over 2 cards to come to catch a pair. If he out flopped you and spiked a set, 2-pair, or straight, you would have paid him off with QQ-AA, so paying him off with AK isn't much different.

If you check the flop, it is an invitation for villain to steal with almost any two cards on any turn, especially if he has a pair.

Hand 2: check/fold

Calling a $30 raise for set value with a $200 stack is usually a bad idea since it is more than 10% of your stack. But I suppose the number of callers that you expect to see, and the virtual guarentee that if you hit a set that someone will stack off might make it +EV. But only marginally so.

So, having called for set value, and having missed your set, you should fold. Don't go broke stabbing at a big pot from bad position just because you have a small overpair. Somebody behind you probably has a better hand too often to make pushing a good idea.