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blahblahblahk · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject: $5 bubble situations

How was my lines here. I'm trying to be more aggressive on the bubble. Hand #1, UTG had been raising to steal and folding to 3 bets. SB, BB had been playing tight. Waiting for a hand.

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HAND #1
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Full Tilt Poker, $5 + $0.50 NL Hold'em Sit n' Go, 150/300 Blinds, 4 Players

UTG: 4,630
Hero (BTN): 5,070
SB: 2,060
BB: 1,740

Pre-Flop: (450) T Diamond

K

dealt to Hero (BTN)
UTG raises to 700, Hero raises to 2,400

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HAND #2
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Full Tilt Poker, $5 + $0.50 NL Hold'em Sit n' Go, 150/300 Blinds, 4 Players

SB: 3,630
Hero (BB): 3,010
UTG: 5,120
BTN: 1,740

Pre-Flop: (450) A Spade

J

dealt to Hero (BB)
UTG raises to 1,050, 2 folds, Hero raises to 3,010 and is All-In

Is this being too aggressive. Thanks.

cardfish2 · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:24 pm Post subject:

First off, I play tight around the bubble unless I have the big stack or my opponents are wusses. I really want to make the money and then I start opening up.

Hand 1. I don't like this one. If he shoves you are pot committed to call and you have a weak hand. If he just calls and shoves the flop, then what? You have to fold most flops and even if a king flops you might not be good.

Hand 2. Again I am not a fan. If he calls he probably has you dominated or in a coinflip. Unlikely he calls with ace small.

A better approach is to be the first one into the pot so your opponents have to make the bad decisions. If someone has been overly aggressive, wait until after the bubble and then try to bust him.

Pokit2s · Message Board Junkie Joined: 22 Jun 2005 Posts: 1261

Well I'm guessing the guy came over the top of you in hand one, forcing you to fold, am I right. I know they say to be aggressive around the bubble, but the blinds are big enough at this point where it is only a matter of time before someone is going out. There is a difference between aggressive and wreckless in this situation and I think you are flirting with it.

Hand 2 just depends on the raiser. If he is super tight and not raising a lot I might let AJ go or just call. If he is raising a lot being a bully I'm shoving every time with AJ.

blahblahblahk · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:13 pm Post subject:

So does the fact that only two people replied mean everyone else agrees with them?

telebob · Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:10 am Post subject:

I'll take a shot at this, but take it with a grain of salt. I'm not a highly successful sng player.

Hand 1: I fold and hope UTG steals the blinds, or better yet takes out one of the shorties. No reason to get involved in a hand with the other big stack right here. Your strategy should be to get aggressive with the second smallest stack. He's the one who's most likely to tighten up in order to hang on past the bubble. I don't fancy facing a 4-bet or a flop (even with position) with such a weak hand.

Hand 2: This one's pretty close, but I think you can usually shove here. Especially with an opponent similar to the first hand. After posting, your M is 6, so you can't be waiting around much longer, and you're not likely to see a better hand in the next 8 or so hands that you can realistically wait. On the other hand,you're getting no "first-in vigorish" (I've always wanted to type that phrase!). Ideally, you'd like to be first in the pot, and force the others to make the difficult decisions. Unfortunately, you're in an awkward position relative to the big and short stacks, since the big stack has position on you, and you can't use a naked steal from the button because the short stack will likely defend his big blind with anything decent. On balance, I shove against a LAG, fold to a TAG.

MVP04X3 · Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 12:13 am Post subject:

I have no issues with either of those plays. I have never been a fan of slipping into the money. The only time I ever try that is if I am on a table of maniacs who resteal a ton. Then I will wait for a hand that can withstand a resteal. I have on issue with either play.

Honest_Rob · Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:44 am Post subject:

I don't really play SNGs so I may be a little off here but:

Hand 1
Just fold to his open raise. No need to get into a mess with this hand and your stack.

Hand 2
I think you have to shove here. It's four handed. Whatever you do don't ever call here. Calling off 1/3 of your chips and then folding on the flop would be awful spew imo.

dcdoorknob · Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 3:12 am Post subject:

Hand 1 can be a great play sometimes imo, but it is fairly opponent specific. If the guy is a solid, competent SNG player, you have him in a VERY bad spot considering chips stacks and the bubble, and he knows it and will fold everything but super-premiums, making this a very good spot for a re-steal. On the other hand, if its a guy who doesn't mind getting it all in as the 2nd big stack on the bubble preflop w/ say 88 (you should have some idea of this by this point of the SNG), then its probably a bad move.

2nd hand seems fine to me.

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