Live $40 MTT - AQo in the BB trouble....

[octaveshift]

This is a hand from a live MTT I played yesterday at a local casino. Because it was labor day, the tourists were out in droves.

80 people in the tourney - top 8 paid.

It's a $10r, with 3 max rebuys. You have the option of taking all 3 rebuys upfront, and getting an extra t1500 in bonus chips. Since not everyone opted to buy-in for the full amount, the prize structure was roughly something like:
1st = $1000
2nd = $500
3rd = $300
4th = $225
5th = $200
6th = $150
7th = $150
8th = $150

30 people remain at this stage, and hero is about average in chips at his table, with about 10xBB. Hero's image is drum tight- having only shown AA/KK, and a flopped top 2 pair out of the BB with T9s. (Which got cracked when villain called hero's flop shove with KK and turned a set, costing hero the chiplead.) The only other hand hero played was AQ, which was not shown down.

On to the hand: These are the relevant stacks, as all others folded out of the hand, and had roughly t8000:

UTG - t9,000 [Minraised UTG last orbit, and folded to a shove from LP. Fancies himself a much better player than he is.]
UTG+1 - t13,000 [Quiet and passive.]
BB (Hero) - t14,000

Blinds 800/1600

UTG minraises to t3200, and UTG+1 calls... folded to Hero in the BB who looks down to see A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
(Pot = t7200)

What's your move here? Call the minraise? Stop & go? Shove?

Bleh.

[illini43]

Push.

With almost 9000 chips already in the pot, go after it!

I think you can push a lot worse hands here as a sueeze play. You have both of your opponents covered and you have FE on your move.

The min-raise from UTG can be worrisome with his stack, but if he did the same thing last orbit, he might fold again.

You need to accumulate chips in order to do anything in this tournament, as you are still far from the money. I think pushing here helps your stack out, even if you are called only by hands that have you dominated. I do think you get called by hands like 99+,AJs+,AQo+ but all of the chips in the pot make a push worthwhile.

[octaveshift]

[ QUOTE ]
Push.


[/ QUOTE ]

You don't think a shove is too aggressive?

I've been accused of being too aggro in the past, and I am making an effort to "calm down" and work some finesse into my game. I'm just not sure this is the right spot to do so.

[img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[cha59]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Push.


[/ QUOTE ]

You don't think a shove is too aggressive?

I've been accused of being too aggro in the past, and I am making an effort to "calm down" and work some finesse into my game. I'm just not sure this is the right spot to do so.

[img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

You have ~9 BBs in your stack, youre in the BB, someone minraised, someone else called and you have AQs.

I cant think of a better play than shoving unless you have some sort of weird read on one of these players that they only make plays like that with AA or KK. Seems like an easy push to me.

[Bakes]

Shove all day.

[octaveshift]

Great news. I shoved and thought it wasn't even close. Hooray for me.

[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I was just being results oriented, per usual.

[Beachman42]

[ QUOTE ]
Great news. I shoved and thought it wasn't even close. Hooray for me.



[/ QUOTE ]

You should understand why pushing is the best and (*almost*) only play. It has to do with pot size when you act (already >50% of your stack), your position (REALLY bad), your M (<5) and finally, your cards (AQ likes to see all 5 almost as much as AK does). THe only other aspect that cannot be discussed here is your read on UTG & UTG+1. You did not provide nearly enough info to form an opinion on their reaction to your push. On-line, this is a push. Live, every once in awhile I flat call and push a kind flop. But, I don't advocate a stop n go against 2 opponents with smaller or equal stacks without a 2+ hour read on them.