This has come up a lot recently. Early blinds are easy - u can pass or maybe see a flop if it's not too expensive and there are limpers. Or raise from late position.
High blinds you are pretty much passing or shoving with obvious factors influencing this.
But mid blinds is a bit awkward. For example you r in hijack with 88 / 99 or even 1010. Blinds 50 / 100. Mid position makes it 400 to go. I have a stack of lets say around 2K (quite standard for this stage without any monster hands or bad beats) and so does he.
So I think folding might be a bit weak? Calling isn't much better as I have 4 players still to act and could get squeezed or they might wake up with a hand. Reraising has merits if he has been opening a lot but lets say he hasn't that much.
So where does that leave us? Any suggestions. I actually folded 88 in this position when a friend was round in he couldn't believe I'd passed (he's quite an average player but not bad).
My arguement was I like to be first into the pot and can pick a better spot where I have the initiative. I also explained that I wasn't crazy on the idea of getting tied up in what would be at least a 1300 pot despite having position.
Any thoughts?
I agree with it being a push or fold. 3 betting allin would depend on open-raisers stats and the players left to act. But I don't see too many people putting in 20% of their stack and folding to a raise. I'd be leaning towards a fold here. I think it's a coin flip at best. The 4x raise makes me think JJ/QQ which has you in trouble.
You've got 20bb...plenty of time to pick a better spot.
definitely a push or a fold here. its a tough spot for so many players, it is definitely read dependant. is your opponent tight/weak/loose/donk/solid, has he been aggressive lately, what is opponent stack size, everyones table image.
it just depends on the situation, there is no definite answer because it does suck to shove here and be snapped off by aces or another big hand but then again the might have nothing... generally if your opponent is playing loose i shove and if he is tight i probably fold
I look as this as either a shove or fold situation. Even 20BB deep... with Villain raising as a tight player to 4BB it is quite obvious his range is AJ+, KQ+, 88+.
Opening the pot to 400 with a slightly above average stack tells me he's playing two overcards. Most likely AK, AQ or KQ...there is the off chance that he is trying to protect a hand like JJ or QQ. I'd shove 99+ here and would probably fold the rest. If we are sitting in a full ring with no players eliminated then I'll probably take a shot and shove with 88 as well. Either way this hand is a race so treat it like one. If you see a flop with a flat call you're F'ed if a J or higher hits...and if you reraise to say 800 back and he flats...then well unless you hit a set, even with three undercards I'd feel like I was beat.
What would you do if you reraise to 800 and he flats? Flop comes 548 and you're playing 99 and with him acting first he shoves....? This is the perfect flop for you besides you hitting a set and yet with the shove it feels like a -EV call. Since most of the time a tight player isn't shoving AK on that flop out of position.