Sit and Go top 3 pay.

***** Hand History for Game 2568716253 *****
NL Texas Hold'em $30 Buy-in + $3 Entry Fee Trny:15013093 Level:7 Blinds(150/300) - Saturday, August 20, 18:52:26 EDT 2005
Table Table 12231 (Real Money)
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 5
Seat 6: ToledoScott ( $2575 )
Seat 7: Lou_Zar ( $1090 )
Seat 9: Long_m ( $1810 )
Seat 2: FredZoidberg ( $1570 )
Seat 8: Irexes ( $955 )
Trny:15013093 Level:7
Blinds(150/300)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Irexes [ ]
FredZoidberg folds.
ToledoScott calls [300].
Lou_Zar folds.
Irexes calls [150].
Long_m checks.
** Dealing Flop ** [ , , ]


I'm first to act with 655 chips remaining. Long_m has been pretty tight and Toledo has been a bit loose 35% VPIP.

Narrowing the options to check or allin, what do you do and why?

not even sure I would complete the blind with that hand PF, but now I am pushing.

I thought a bit before completing too Beav and ordinarily it's fold for me.

But it was 150 to join a pot of 750, with a stack of 805. Completing left me with 655. Either way I was in allin territory but by completing I got 5 to 1 and another (slim) chance of taking a pot. It was an odd SnG with 7 left at the 7th level.

I like checking and pushing a non spade turn. I mean you only have 2BB's so it doesn't matter that much(they are not folding if they have even one spade), but the turn push is just better because it destroys his chances.

Thanks chaps.

I'll post what I did and why tomorrow. I guess I'm interested in how you strike a balance between avoiding being outdrawn and maximising your winnings in this kind of situation.

Push or fold preflop. Push this flop.

__________________
“There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about.” - John von Neumann

You check the flop and push the turn, hope they don't bet the flop and if they do you can only call and gamble.

the way I feel about, and it may be wrong: you have the odds to call PF, but you don't have the stack to take advantage of it post flop. Most flops are only going to hit you with a pair if they do, or a flush draw which you will still miss most times.

I don't EVER like to flat call preflop when I'm down under 3 BB. I would have pushed with that hand if it was folded around to me preflop with one limper.

Regarding the preflop call.

My view is that in a Sit and Go you only get a very small number of chances to make a critical move and that it's worth maximising these (even if they are small) in the long run. In this case (and the blinds being so large relative to everyone's stack are the main factor here) the preflop call gave me a bullet in my gun for very little risk and most importantly left me with enough in my stack for another shot (on another hand) if I missed the flop. With blinds this big I'll happily wait til I have 1BB before making a desperation play. Note this is only in sit and gos and not MTTs and relates entirely to the payout structure.

I wouldn't push preflop as I'm guarenteed a call from the limper and am going to lose more than I win while if I am patient I may get a better shot where the odds are in my favour.

Post-flop.

I pushed and everyone folded.

What interested me was how to make the most of a situation where I am probably currently ahead with a flush draw on the board.

I like the idea of checking to the turn as Goose said, though I feel it the more passive play as either

a) it's a spade and I'm now a massive dog and probably have missed my chance at the pot.

or b) it's not a spade but I'm less likely to get a caller if I push who is chasing the flush.

the best result for the check would be c) someone bets and I could then reraise them allin, which would be a great as they are clear underdog with the flush draw (presumably).

I If bet the flop, then I eliminate the possibility of putting my chips in with another spade on the board, I gain fold equity but I also make a call from the flush draw (or Top pair) a mistake.

In summary, I suspect by pushing I didn't make as much from the hand as was possible but minimised my chance of getting eliminated on the hand.

(footnote: came second in the end 3-way allin me with AA v 66 v K9o, 66 was big stack and hit trips)

Thanks folks