Calling with an underpair

Heres the question?

I a MTT you are in position/ SB /BB with a small pocket pair. 99 through 22. It is raised in middle position all in you have them barley covered or you are all in. Your read is they have two high cards.

Do you call?

If you loose the flip your out or crippled. Do you get involved?

I know the answer from alot of people is you have to call, but is there another strat?
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Comments

  • What is your stack size?
    How close to the bubble?
  • You are average stack and the bubble is not close.
  • Well I fold, but that's just me... 2 reasons..

    1/ I would much rather be the pusher than the caller, two ways to win the pot.

    2/ How can you be so sure he has 2 unmatched overs and not an over pair? Even if he showed you his AK I fold for reason # 1.
  • compuease wrote: »
    Well I fold, but that's just me... 2 reasons..

    1/ I would much rather be the pusher than the caller, two ways to win the pot.

    2/ How can you be so sure he has 2 unmatched overs and not an over pair? Even if he showed you his AK I fold for reason # 1.

    Easy fold.
    As compuease said, I'd rather be pushing than calling.
  • Is this a trick question? You have had this situation probably 3 bazzilion times. Just trying to get some strategy discussion going? That's a good thing though.. And who are you referring to as "a lot of people"? Surely not on here...
  • I'm assuming that you have a pretty healthy M still, and with that in mind, I don't mind folding in this spot. First, I think you need to always have a better hand to cold call with than to raise with. If you were first to act and raised, or even raised with a couple of limpers, that would be the preferred action. As it is, to call this bet, you would need AQs or better, or JJ or QQ or better.

    Second, its a while to the bubble, and if your M is still in good shape there is no reason to risk your tournament life in this situation. I would definitely be watchfull of the villian though from this point on, and put a much better read on him later.
  • 99 or 88 is different that 22 or 33
  • you are saying the guy raised from MP, enough to put you all-in but you have an average stack nowhere near the bubble? sounds like an interesting MTT
  • cadillac wrote: »
    99 or 88 is different that 22 or 33

    I really don't think so. Its still a coin flip. Here is why I ask the question.

    Playing a MTT sat to another tournament. Top two get a seat. top 7 get money.

    2 tables left, 7 handed at each table. I am in the SB with 99. Everyone except a few at each table is short stacked. I am average in chips. Pushing is now a option for all middle to short stacks. I have the pusher covered and it makes sense he has overcards.

    I made the call....was right about the over cards....QJ off...but am left wondering if I made the right call.

    Is it that obvious of a fold. This might be a hole in my game.
  • BTW - I was knock out of the NAPC in a simillar instance. I read the two players in the hand with me with two overs and made the call.

    I had QQ, one had AK and the other AQ. A 10 on the flop K on the turn and river blank.

    Do you take the coin flip with QQ knowing AK is there? Again assuming average stacks.
  • I think you really need to consider the stack sizes in these situations to determine your course of action. Not just in relation to the average stack, but the actual stack to blind ratio. But if i'm reading right, i'm going to assume the average stack < 10bb and its just push shove. In that case 99 is a good call as the original raiser can easily be making the same play with Ax or under pairs. That is also why 99 > 22. Since its extermely difficult to put another player on a specific hand, when you put them on a hand range instead, AT is in the same approx range as 55 (I think). So in one hand your a slight favourite, in the other hand your a huge favourite. Makes the call much easier and that way you don't have to think your flipping for your tournament life.

    In your NAPC hand with a 55% chance to triple up, i'm calling.
  • In addition to other factors, one not mentioned is your skill level vs the others at your table/in the tournament. If you are easily the best, you should probably fold. If you are likely the worst, you should certainly call.
    In between is where it becomes more of a judgement/style call.

    I'd call with 99/88 sometimes but fold everything else.
    22 is a coin flip, 99 is quite a bit better. I'm not going out against QTo on a board of 557J7 :)
  • Dead Money wrote: »
    Heres the question?

    I a MTT you are in position/ SB /BB with a small pocket pair. 99 through 22. It is raised in middle position all in you have them barley covered or you are all in. Your read is they have two high cards.

    Do you call?

    If you loose the flip your out or crippled. Do you get involved?

    I know the answer from alot of people is you have to call, but is there another strat?
    For me it's all down to how long can you wait for a better chance to put your money in, If your a short stack, then I will be tempted to call with the middle pairs, and I have to be extreamly low to call with 22 and 33. If I'm average chips or above then I would fold
  • Dead Money wrote: »
    I really don't think so. Its still a coin flip. Here is why I ask the question.

    Playing a MTT sat to another tournament. Top two get a seat. top 7 get money.

    2 tables left, 7 handed at each table. I am in the SB with 99. Everyone except a few at each table is short stacked. I am average in chips. Pushing is now a option for all middle to short stacks. I have the pusher covered and it makes sense he has overcards.

    I made the call....was right about the over cards....QJ off...but am left wondering if I made the right call.

    Is it that obvious of a fold. This might be a hole in my game.


    Lets not be silly here. You don't KNOW he has overcards unless he actually shows them to you and since you are playing online we know that him showing you is not an option.

    If he is shoving AJ+ and any pair you are picking up equity with 99 or 88 because you are way ahead of 22-77. If you have 22 or 33 calling is pretty bad because you are flipping at best.
  • cadillac wrote: »
    Lets not be silly here. You don't KNOW he has overcards unless he actually shows them to you and since you are playing online we know that him showing you is not an option.


    not being silly. I have given you the parameters and you have less the 10 BB in your stack, but still average. Do you call. Player was niether loose or tight. Open shove the best you can be is dominating a under pair. At worst they have an overpair....although unlikely...two over cards is more than likely.
  • Dead Money wrote: »
    not being silly. I have given you the parameters and you have less the 10 BB in your stack, but still average. Do you call. Player was niether loose or tight. Open shove the best you can be is dominating a under pair. At worst they have an overpair....although unlikely...two over cards is more than likely.


    My point is this...

    They way you have typed out your post leads me to believe that you have fundamental leak in your game. In this extremely common endgame situation you need to be thinking about:

    - what types of hands fall into your opponents range
    - how your holding fares against that range
    - what price you are getting to make the call


    You never know for sure if your opponent holds overcards, holds an overpair, or holds an underpair. Since you have a middling pair you need to consider the fact of whether of not you are up against TT-AA. Saying that it is unlikely is wrong, it is entirely possible you just need to figure out what percentage of the time it is true.


    Why don't you figure this situation out for yourself with some of the posters here coaching your decisions?


    Here is how you start. What are the blinds, what is your stack exactly, what is your opponents stack exactly and what are all of the hands that you believe you opponent shoves with in this spot?


    Answer those questions first and then you will get some constructive help.
  • Dead Money wrote: »
    Open shove the best you can be is dominating a under pair. At worst they have an overpair....although unlikely...two over cards is more than likely.

    Any ace is also quite likely, imo. Meaning 99-77 go way up in value because you dominate A2-A6 while 22 and 33 are near-definite flips. If someone's shoving KQ they're doing it with A4 too.
  • Big Mike wrote: »
    If someone's shoving KQ they're doing it with A4 too.

    Word to your mother
  • Caddy,

    I have been play for a while now, no newbee here and have had my share of wins. I am trying to see if my decision making is correct. To answer my own poll I make the call, every time. Maybe I play this wrong. That is why I asked to show who voted for which answer.

    I value the responses. I guess you are missing my point.

    Ok I may be up against A rag, and 99 -77 go up in value. If you are 52 to 48% fav, do you call for your tournament/ cripple yourself / double up.
  • Dead Money wrote: »
    Caddy,

    I have been play for a while now, no newbee here and have had my share of wins. I am trying to see if my decision making is correct. To answer my own poll I make the call, every time. Maybe I play this wrong. That is why I asked to show who voted for which answer.

    I value the responses. I guess you are missing my point.

    Ok I may be up against A rag, and 99 -77 go up in value. If you are 52 to 48% fav, do you call for your tournament/ cripple yourself / double up.

    Probably not, because as mentioned I'd much rather wait to be the pusher and have some fold equity.
    But, fyi, vs any broadway/any ace/any pair you are 60%/40% favorite with 99, but a 45% to 55% underdog with 22. Hence i didn't answer the poll. To actually be a favorite, thus meriting even the consideration of a call, you need to have 55+.
  • I dont call OOP with 22-99 in that situation and I am hesistant even with 10s....JJ+ I push. For you to effectively make a move with a smaller pair you need a bigger stack so you can sustain the hit.

    I also look at who is doing the pushing and do I want that player with chips. Sometimes its better to have good players with less chips then trying to race with them as well.

    Like most of the posters have said I rather be pushing than calling with those hands. Also I like the fact that I can steal on the button or CO within the next couple of hands.

    As for the post about Deadmoney being a noob....LMAO.....maybe you just don't know him that well. No worries he wouldn't take offence to the comment. Great guy and extremely good player.
  • Big Mike wrote: »
    Probably not, because as mentioned I'd much rather wait to be the pusher and have some fold equity.
    But, fyi, vs any broadway/any ace/any pair you are 60%/40% favorite with 99, but a 45% to 55% underdog with 22. Hence i didn't answer the poll. To actually be a favorite, thus meriting even the consideration of a call, you need to have 55+.
    Where the heck do you come up with those numbers,? ie 22 vs AK unsuited, no overlap in suites, the 22 is a 52.75/46.67 favorite over the AK, and 99 is a 55.33/44.16 favorite over the AK. However I certainly agree with the, be the pusher, rather than the caller aspect...

    And Caddy, Deadmoney has played all the biggest tournaments around, he's certainly no noob, although I do wonder if he's just trying to stir up some discussion with this, and he has...
  • compuease wrote: »
    Where the heck do you come up with those numbers,? ie 22 vs AK unsuited, no overlap in suites, the 22 is a 52.75/46.67 favorite over the AK, and 99 is a 55.33/44.16 favorite over the AK. However I certainly agree with the, be the pusher, rather than the caller aspect...

    Not vs a specific hand, vs that entire range. The numbers are from pokerstove.
  • Got ya, missed that "entire range" part... Although that's a pretty big range....
  • Dead Money wrote: »
    Caddy,

    I have been play for a while now, no newbee here and have had my share of wins. I am trying to see if my decision making is correct. To answer my own poll I make the call, every time. Maybe I play this wrong. That is why I asked to show who voted for which answer.

    I value the responses. I guess you are missing my point.

    Ok I may be up against A rag, and 99 -77 go up in value. If you are 52 to 48% fav, do you call for your tournament/ cripple yourself / double up.




    When people post a hand on here they usually frame the question around all of the information that they have available. If you framed your question to the board in the same way as you frame the question to yourself you have a problem IMO.


    Newbie's ask questions like, "I have TT and villain is a LAGtard. He shoves do I call?" This is all they think about so this is all the information they have available.


    People who have been playing for a while say, " 14 left on 2 tables in a Satty. Top 2 get a seat top 7 get paid. Blinds are 500-1000 with a 100 ante. Folds to Mid-position who shoves his last 6800. He seems fairly competent but I don't have much of a read. I am in the cut-off with 99 and 7900 in my stack. Button and both blinds have just over 10K.

    Is my hand good enough to call here? If not, what do I need?"


    This second question will get you better responses and people may even explain a bit about their thought process to you.


    Since you didn't feel like thinking about a range for our villain and still have not given stack sizes here is my answer:


    In your situation I call AQ+ and 99+ in the spot you described against a total unknown. If I think he is pretty loose I may go as far as 77+ and may add AJ as well.


    If you are under 10BB my first question is, "How did this happen?" because you are running out of fold equity especially if there are antes in play (which we still don't know).


    My second question is if you are a long time MMT'er why have you not poker stoved a bunch of these situations for yourself yet? Playing the short stack at least competently is a must have weapon in any tournament players arsenal. You are a long way from the bubble and you are not folding into a seat with less than 10BB in your stack and you are way short for waiting for a super premium hand.
  • cadillac wrote: »
    If you are under 10BB my first question is, "How did this happen?" because you are running out of fold equity especially if there are antes in play (which we still don't know).


    My second question is if you are a long time MMT'er why have you not poker stoved a bunch of these situations for yourself yet? Playing the short stack at least competently is a must have weapon in any tournament players arsenal. You are a long way from the bubble and you are not folding into a seat with less than 10BB in your stack and you are way short for waiting for a super premium hand.

    Answer 1 = This is a satellite, blinds go up quick, sometimes you find yourself in this situation.

    Answer 2 = Don't remember the the exact blind level or the chip counts but just the general situation. I have shoved many times with less that two high cards.

    I wonder why the fuck you are giving me so much grief! I have a question about a situation. If you don't want to answer, ignore it! Don't tell me how to phrase my question. Or is it about post count?
  • I was trying to give you an idea of how you might get quality responses when you start a thread and are seriously looking for an answer.


    When you make an OP like you did in this thread you get 3 pages of "I fold" and "I call" with no reasoning behind it. If that is what you are looking for then congrats.


    Myself and several others took the time to respond and ask you for more of the EXTREMELY important details required to make this decision. Like Stack sizes, blinds and your exact hand because as it has been pointed out 99 is a hell of a lot different than 22.



    I honestly thought I could help improve the focus in this thread and take part in a quality discussion but if you want me to fuck off I will.



    Big Mike has given you the best responses here IMO and if you don't entirely understand what he is saying I suggest you follow him up.
  • cadillac wrote: »
    When you make an OP like you did in this thread you get 3 pages of "I fold" and "I call" with no reasoning behind it. If that is what you are looking for then congrats..

    Thats what is what I was looking for. A quick poll to see how everyone plays this.
    cadillac wrote: »
    I honestly thought I could help improve the focus in this thread and take part in a quality discussion but if you want me to fuck off I will.

    To easy here....I will leave it alone.
    cadillac wrote: »
    Big Mike has given you the best responses here IMO and if you don't entirely understand what he is saying I suggest you follow him up.

    I agree. Mike thanks for the honesty and explanation.
  • since it is a sat AND you are getting short AND are confident of your read, you should call. much moreso if you have 77+

    caddy's point about posting more detail is dead (on the) money.
  • Dead Money wrote: »


    I agree. Mike thanks for the honesty and explanation.

    You're welcome.
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