Thursday, May 15, 2008

Allin: better to call or to shove?

Here are two separate situations, where I flop an OESD and a flush draw on the flop.

Situation #1, I'm up against an unknown player at a 5-handed $2/4 table, and have just sat down:

Seat 2: Subzero_666 ($400)
Seat 4: Villain ($400)
Seat 6 is sitting out
Villain posts the small blind of $2
XXXX posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Subzero_666 [8h 9h]
XXXX folds
Subzero_666 has 15 seconds left to act
Subzero_666 raises to $14
XXXX folds
Villain calls $12
BB folds
*** FLOP *** [7h Kc 6h]
Villain checks
Subzero_666 bets $24
Villain has 15 seconds left to act
Villain raises to $59
Subzero_666 has 15 seconds left to act
Subzero_666 raises to $209
Villain has 15 seconds left to act
Villain raises to $386, and is all in
Subzero_666 has 15 seconds left to act
Subzero_666 calls $177, and is all in
Villain shows [7s 7c]
Subzero_666 shows [8h 9h]


I knew that he had to have at least 2 pair here, and was unsurprised to see the set. I don't see myself playing this any other way though.

Situation #2, a very aggressive 6-handed $2/4 table, where I have been playing for about an hour.

Seat 1: Villain2 ($324.15) <-- very aggressive but weak
Seat 2: Villain ($293.10) <-- solid, tricky, thinking player
Seat 6: Subzero_666 ($456.70)
XXXX posts the small blind of $2
XXXX posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS *** Dealt to Subzero_666 [Qs Js]
XXXX folds Subzero_666 raises to $14
Villain2 calls $14
Villain has 15 seconds left to act Villain calls $14
SB folds BB folds
*** FLOP *** [Ts 5s Kh]
Subzero_666 has 15 seconds left to act
Subzero_666 checks
Villain2 bets $48 Villain raises to $96
Subzero_666 raises to $442.70, and is all in
Villain2 folds
Villain calls $183.10, and is all in
Subzero_666 shows [Qs Js]
rootsrock shows [Ks Kd]
Uncalled bet of $163.60 returned to Subzero_666

This time, I check-shove to get maximum fold equity from draws and weak hands. The only time I will normally get called though is by 2 pair or better.

I've had some doubts over whether it is best to push allin when the only time you will be called is by a better hand, or call an allin when you are an underdog and need to hit. Does anyone else play the above hands using a different line? Does anyone fold the above hands???

Comments welcome.

3 comments:

Gnome said...

I think you know the answer. You want to get all your money in on the flop all day, every day with a big combo draw. The flop is where you have the highest equity without making your hand.
Being up against a set is a worst-case scenario, but even then, you're not in that bad of shape.

http://twodimes.net/h/?z=4691036
pokenum -h 7s 7c - 8h 9h -- 7h kc 6h
Holdem Hi: 990 enumerated boards containing Kc 7h 6h
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
7s 7c 573 57.88 417 42.12 0 0.00 0.579
9h 8h 417 42.12 573 57.88 0 0.00 0.421

http://twodimes.net/h/?z=4691057
pokenum -h qs js - ks kd -- ts 5s kh
Holdem Hi: 990 enumerated boards containing Ts 5s Kh
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
Qs Js 370 37.37 620 62.63 0 0.00 0.374
Ks Kd 620 62.63 370 37.37 0 0.00 0.626

SubZero said...

Thanks Gnome. Needless to say I lost both of these, but it's good to know that I'm not taking the wrong line...

Hope all is going better for you!

Eric a.k.a. Bone Daddy said...

I'm not a total supersystem type of guy, but when I have these many outs, I tend to get it all in on the flop if I can, makes the decisions easier, if you cap off on the flop, what do you do if the turn is a blank and now you don't have odds to continue. Plus, if your flush completes, a good player will not pay you off, so no problems with your lines here.