The right time to go all-in?

yb

Hi Guys

I was playing in a bounty hounter yesterday, and we were down to the last 10 players (starting from around 200). I had around 18 bb's left and was in the small blind (blind levels were 500 / 1k) with Ace-Nine off-suit and the action had been folded round to me. The big stack was in the bb with around 60 bb's and had previously been shoving quite a bit, but had not really been calling all-in shoves from other players. I shoved all-in and he called me with Queen-Jack off-suit and hit his queen on the river to put me out. Do you think I made the right decision to go all-in here, or should I have gone for a smaller raise pre-flop in that situation?

Cheers

Talon

  With the action folded around to you and going into a battle of the blinds it was a fair assumption to believe that you were ahead. So a raise was definately called for, happy enough to steal the blinds.  As to going all-in i believe that was not the right bet for several reasons
 1. with 18BB you have plenty of play in your stack
 2. you are raising into the chip daddy and the call was only for a third of his stack with the chance to take you out
 3. A standard raise in this position looks strong whereas an all in looks like an attempt to steal the blinds and therefore the increased bet size shows weakness and no desire to be called.

  Your move would probably have worked with anyone else but with his stack and playable cards  he decided to have a gamble. The odds pre flop on this hand were about 58% in your favour so you were not a massive favourite.
 For me it would be 3-4BB raise followed with a c-bet and i think you show all the strength to get him to fold. Others will probably disagree with me but that is my two penny's worth

Urdadi

I can understand why you went all in. I wouldn't have. Instead I would have went with a decent size raise but enough to walk away if he called or came over the top.

By the sounds of it you were unlucky. Had you been at the table a while with this player?  Reason I ask is I have seen players in his position fold but go after specific player for no aparent reason.  I have seen then call small, large and all in rises but fold in similar situations. One recently only called or raised against a specific player. May have been a history betwen them.

On your specific example, you may just have been unlucky.

Torryladd

To add to the above I take it you had taken bounties and the added value would have been very tempting to him, I would have probably did the same myself due to the chip lead and extra cash on offer

RichiSwift

In Response to The right time to go all-in?:

Hi Guys I was playing in a bounty hounter yesterday, and we were down to the last 10 players (starting from around 200). I had around 18 bb's left and was in the small blind (blind levels were 500 / 1k) with Ace-Nine off-suit and the action had been folded round to me. The big stack was in the bb with around 60 bb's and had previously been shoving quite a bit, but had not really been calling all-in shoves from other players. I shoved all-in and he called me with Queen-Jack off-suit and hit his queen on the river to put me out. Do you think I made the right decision to go all-in here, or should I have gone for a smaller raise pre-flop in that situation? Cheers
Posted by yb

Hi yb,

hmm interesting one, because the answer is yes and no.
yes, because A9 is acceptable, in my opinion to shove, and acceptable with 10 players left amd was the right spot to shove all in. In my opinion.

no, because there are still many hands beating A9 and also your opponant has a very big range to cvall you.

he has a big range, because, one, it is bounty hunter and he wants your bounty and two, because he has about 4 or 5 times as many chips as you.

thinking about it, i would go for no.

this is because of a little rule which i was allow fellow forum members to know and be privalige to.

rule #25 - never or try to avoid bullying the large stack or bigger stacks than you.


i have may rules and every now and again i might post some.


good luck.

yb

Thanks for the feeback guys. On reflection I think a smaller raise would have been best (the reason I didn't do that was I didn't want to have to play the hand out of position when a check by me would have inevitably resulted in the big stack trying to bully me off the hand). As it turned out, seeing as he didn't hit until the river, a continuation bet by me after the flop would probably have been enough to get him off the hand had I gone for the smaller raise pre-flop instead...

phil12uk

The sick nature of bounty hunters. Going all in is like a red rag to a bull and players feel much more obliged to call you. IMO u made the right move and he donked out after making a vile, bounty hunter call.

ACESOVER8s

I think your shove is acceptable but with hindsight obviously a raise and then C-bet on the flop would prob of taken the pot. Sometimes the gods just don't smile on us do they

LadyFingrs

Depends on his calling range.

Obv if he's calling /w QJ then it's a solid value shove, but always evaluate what you're trying to accomplish before youi take any action.

I like the shove fwiw.

LadyFingrs

In Response to Re: The right time to go all-in?:

The sick nature of bounty hunters. Going all in is like a red rag to a bull and players feel much more obliged to call you. IMO u made the right move and he donked out after making a vile, bounty hunter call.
Posted by phil12uk

Lol I played one where a 15BB stack limped MP, folded to me on btn, I shove 10BB's /w A5s, and he snaps me off /w the T2s lol.

phil12uk

In Response to Re: The right time to go all-in?:

In Response to Re: The right time to go all-in? : Lol I played one where a 15BB stack limped MP, folded to me on btn, I shove 10BB's /w A5s, and he snaps me off /w the T2s lol.
Posted by LadyFingrs

LOL and thats why the bounty hunters are woeful for teaching new players the basics of poker.

LadyFingrs

And are excellent for the adderol market