So who wants to fold this?

[The Baron]

I would pass.

now someone give me more drugs.

[Nem]

Here's some crack...

[Longy]

I must admit i would move in here. I can see the arguement Dubai is making but what happens if he has such a hand that he will call a preflop push but will fold if he misses the flop. For example say ak, aq, aj etc........ Then we have lost our customer and failed to get all the chips in.

An interesting article (hope this doesn't constitute as spamming) on sit n go decisions around the bubble i recenty read can be found here. http://www.twoplustwo.com/magazine/current/harnett0106.html

[Sheriff Fatman]

Wow, I go to bed for a few hours and all hell breaks loose!

The reason I posted this is that as I played the hand I briefly considered folding, remembering back to Sklansky's section in 'Tournament Poker For Advanced Players' about it sometimes being correct to fold Aces.  However, I quickly recovered my senses, pushed, got called by 99 and subsequently lost the showdown.  As my icon disappeared from the screen I had visions of the short stack rubbing his hands with glee and it subsequently got me thinking about whether or not I'd done the right thing..

It might seem a trivial decision in this case but I was intrigued as to whether anybody would fold here.  When I used to post there regualarly, the single table tournament forum on 2+2 used to get regular 'should I fold Aces?' type posts where it seemed people were actively looking to do it (almost as if they wanted to be able to say 'I laid down Aces pre-flop').

Personally, there's still too much 'play' in the bubble here for me not to move in.  There's no guarantee that if I lay down here that the short stack will not find a spot to double up leaving me full of regret anyway, so I'll take my 80%ish chance of doubling up against my 20%ish chance of busting (just looking at my win % stats for AA).

As for the debate on all-in vs calling vs min-raising, I never even considered anything other than a push or fold.  Unless he's completely at it with garbage, I doubt UTG lays down ever here, he's calling 1,080 to win a pot of 2,080, with no immediate danger of busting out himself and a chance of bursting the bubble.

OK then, so as a follow up question, how far down the hand rankings do you feel you have such an automatic decision.  What if you had KK or QQ, where your chances of losing the hand are so much greater?  At what point does pushing in this situation not become an +EV play?

Sheriff

[yt]

The only reason I can see to fold the AA would be if the next blinds would take out the other short stack on his next go but he can go round at least 3 more times. You have to play AA here and all in is the preferable move.

Q2
KK QQ JJ I'd be all in. TT I be all in but not be happy! anything lower (PP) I'd still probably go all in as its a turbo and vs the relative stack sizes I feel Id need to move. AK AQ I would go for it. AJ same again but not be happy.
So I'd go in with any PP, AK, AQ, AJ.
and fold everything else, let the other short stack make a decision. I'd never flat call with any of these hands in the situation you stated (though the AA might have been worth a flat call....) Not sure about when it becomes -EV but I'm sure some bright spark will number crunch it for us 

But I'm not going to get on my high horse and say my way is right! It's just how I would play the turbo with a low stack.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Not sure about when it becomes -EV but I'm sure some bright spark will number crunch it for us 

I've already crunched them.  I'm intrigued as to the debate before I give the results though.

Sheriff

[yt]

Not sure about when it becomes -EV but I'm sure some bright spark will number crunch it for us 

I've already crunched them.  I'm intrigued as to the debate before I give the results though.

Sheriff

Bright spark award to you then!
Do you really think about Turbos this much? I wouldn't have given it a second thought

I'd also like to know what hands you would play/fold in this situation....

[Sheriff Fatman]

Do you really think about Turbos this much? I wouldn't have given it a second thought

The thing about SnGs is that the situations repeat themselves time and time again, so its well worth looking back at hands that intrigue you as experience for the next time.

I'm just starting to play them again, after a long spell of playing limit hold'em cash games so I'm trying to get tuned back into the thought process!

Sheriff