$5 Turbo Sattelite Bubble w/A8s

[bobbycharles]

PokerStars Tournament, Big Blind is t2000 with t200 antes (7 handed) Converter on pregopoker.com

UTG (t21638)
Hero (t10708)
MP1 (t18262)
CO (t18357)
Button (t14056)
SB (t12050)
BB (t14855)

Preflop: Hero is in UTG+1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

There are 15 players left and 12 get a spot. In retrospect, I think I should have folded, but I'm not sure. My thoughts are push and gather the blinds and fold my way in. I have decent fold equity at this point, I'm low but not critical. I'm about to be hit with 3k of blinds, but there are two shorter stacks at the other remaining table.
Can anyone justify a push or am I grasping at straws here?

[BrandiFan]

I think push here is ok. This is probably your last chance to have any fold equity and you can't really count on 3 people busting in the next 12 hands or so for you to be all in in the BB. If you steal the blinds here you are in a much better pos.
Edit: you're also less likely to get called by non-premium hands since doubling you would make villian the short stack.

[bobbycharles]

My thoughts exactly. As a short stack at this table, I still had some FE and really didn't expect a call from anybody. I was called by a UTG+1 with AJo which I think was a bad call, but maybe he figured he wouldn't be hurt if he lost and he could speed the game up some.

One mistake I made was not checking the positions of the short stacks at the other table. It's possible I could have layed this down, but I would have been likely blinded out the next time. I think I played it right, but wanted to double check.

[levAA]

what about the other table - on this one you are the shortstack - so you have to make a move before blinds hit you and you loose your FE.

So I think A8s is enough to push.

[Thegunshow]

Fold all day. Yes you'rea bout to get hit with 3K in blinds but you're gonna have healthy stacks behind you when you hit the button/CO and by that time they should be in autofold mode. Even at 7K it's still enough to make a decent player not want to get involved with you. You should also always have the other tables open when you're in a satellite like this to keep any eye on the rest of the field.

[bobbycharles]

Again, this was my mistake. The other table had 2 stacks less than me at 1500 or so and about 3900. As I've had time to digest this, I think the best play would have been to lay this down in this spot. Normally I have enough FE and I'm still surprised at the call by the AJ, but at this spot in the tourney with two others about to be hit with the blinds, I may be able to either stall my way in or find a better spot in LP. I don't know though, it's a close call either way.

[WJL]

Here's why I think you should go with this hand:

1. You have 3 hands before the blinds @200/hand, so you are down to M=2, more or less, after SB.

2. This is a turbo, and you didn't say how much longer you have at this blind level; if the blinds are going up before you hit them, the situation is even worse.

3. Likely you are not going to have a better hand before the blinds hit.

4. UTG+1 gives you first-in vig; it's going to be very hard for you, or anyone else for that matter, to call AI with anything but premium hands the rest of the way.

5. I don't like to fold into the money when it looks like I still have a chance to win the thing. Winning the blinds gives you 30% more chips, and winning the hand over a call makes you first or second stack on the table.

Looks to me like you pushed and lost, but I don't think there is a particularly strong argument for pushing vs. folding or vice versa given the situation. I think if you still want to win the tourney, you have to take a chance here. If you fold and DON'T make the money, you'd be thinking you should have pushed here.

[sapsuckah]

re-read the OP... this is a satellite, not a freeze-out.

[Gar Pike]

Sorry, I'm a bit confused.

You are UTG+1 and get called by UTG+1?

If you are open pushing this or over-pushing this it makes a difference.

But in a satellite, I would be folding this every time, if the people at the other table are about to be hit by the blinds.

With a larger stack than mine already in the hand ahead of me, I also fold, regardless of other short stacks' position.
(can't tell if this is the case from your OP)

I would much prefer open-pushing something like 78s, than A-mid suited, because if you do get called, it will probably be something like AQ+, where your A-mid is dominated. If I'm going to overpush, it's going to be against a shorter stack than UTG's (something more like mine +20%, or smaller)

satellites are about surviving, not about winning.

Regards

Gar

[bobbycharles]

[ QUOTE ]
With a larger stack than mine already in the hand ahead of me, I also fold, regardless of other short stacks' position.
(can't tell if this is the case from your OP)


[/ QUOTE ]
....sorry. I open pushed, and the guy one to my left called with AJo.

What I take away is:
1. Be more cognizant of other shorties positions
2. Open pushing here is debatable.
3. Be more aware of other player's bubble play skills...I think his call here was pretty bad.

Again, not real concerned with the result, but want to make the right play next time. Seems it's a close decision either way.