SNG: Ax facing raise ITM

Hey guys, how's it going. I've been off the poker track for a few years now, but recently got the urge and have been playing a bunch of $15 SNGs on Stars. There are some situations that I'm struggling to get comfortable in, and this is one that comes up often.

Both my opponents seems to be solid regulars, capable of blind stealing and the occasional re-steal. The ITM play is fairly aggressive.

What are your thoughts about a situation like this, when stacks are pretty equal and no one is desperate yet?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, 15 Tournament, 100/200 Blinds (3 handed) - PokerStars Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com

Button (t5502)
SB (t3120)
Hero (BB) (t4878)

Hero's M: 16.26

Preflop: Hero is BB with 6, A
Button bets t420

Nice spot.

With the stack sizes as they are you have just enough room to 3bet / fold which I guess also makes it a good place to 3bet /call if villain notices it too.

Fortune favors the brave

Originally Posted by Luco

With the stack sizes as they are you have just enough room to 3bet / fold...

I'll second that

From what I've seen in the last few days, threebets are usually scary so a 4-bet push means a strong hand. That's one of the reasons I feel uncomfortable, because I'd probably have to call that push reluctantly.

If I three-bet and there is a call, what is my flop plan?

Well we'll never be fist pumping here which is why this thread deserves more attention. Marginal spots are where the money is made.

If you're way behind any 4bet range here you should prolly be 3betting these spots a ton.

If you get called - I don't mind smaller cbets in 3bet pots as they don't often reraise without the goods. Would also small ball if we spiked the Ace. Sucks to fold after this but you're nowhere near dead if you do.

hi sandstorm, long time you still have my favorite avatar.

Don't 3bet/call this, that seems awful. If you 3bet, it should probably be jam. Sometimes I would flat.

Whats your image like? If you've been active lately I'd prefer folding. 3betting could be dangerous with a bad image...given the remaining shortstack, villain should know you can't 3bet/call without a huge hand and can put a lot of pressure on you by 4bet shoving. Flatting kinda sucks for the same reasons...you may face multiple barrels with a hand that doesn't flop very well. Shoving I think would be -EV even if BTN's been active

Originally Posted by fjuanl

Shoving I think would be -EV even if BTN's been active

This makes no sense

I think he's alluding to the shove being huge in relation to the pot.

Donkbee what's the plan if you flat? I'm guessing c/r ai if the board looks good for it?

Originally Posted by donkbee

hi sandstorm, long time you still have my favorite avatar.

Don't 3bet/call this, that seems awful. If you 3bet, it should probably be jam. Sometimes I would flat.

What up Courtie, glad to see you're still hanging in there. I question the jam because the stacks are big, as Luco mentioned. What's the reasoning behind the 3bet being awful? I can understand that we'd like to play a smaller flop (flat call) if we decide to see a flop as any hand will be marginal.

fjuanl: I think my image would be pretty aggressive here, I've been stealing a lot since 50/100.

Originally Posted by Luco

Donkbee what's the plan if you flat? I'm guessing c/r ai if the board looks good for it?

The plan is to play poker. I know this is as vague as it gets, but that's an impossible question to answer. Some flops will be good to jam, some good to c/r less than all-in, some good to flat, some good to fold.

I think jam preflop is much better than flatting against most "solid regs", though.

Originally Posted by sandstorm

I question the jam because the stacks are big, as Luco mentioned. What's the reasoning behind the 3bet being awful?

Stacks are 25bb which really is not that big. 3bet less than AI is awful because you have a strong hand that is usually better than the button's, but you have to fold if he 4bet jams. An opponent that understands ICM should probably be 4bet jamming a fairly wide range vs your 3bet. If he isn't 4betting you, then you could be 3betting other hands in the BB such as J4 and K2 (but not A6).

You risk a lot to win very little (small raise + no antes)

ICM is more important since this is a SnG. Busting before the 3k stack would be bad.

A6o is a bad resteal hand. Lots of stuff like JTs has way better equity when called. A6o is usually going to have the worst equity out of all Ax hands.

It's because of ICM that you should 3bet jam. The button has to consider ICM too, and therefore can't call with much.