What do you need to call here??

[Bazzaboy]

Ok here is the scenario (this is not a bad beat btw).  WSOP qualifier, 26seats (27-33 get buyin back), i'm 33rd of the 34 runners remaining.  Villain in the SB is relatively comfortable in 18th (26th had 21k in chips), he could probably have folded his way to a seat. Now if he calls and wins he is guaranteed a seat, if he passes he is still in decent shape, if he calls and loses he is in trouble.  If you were in his shoes what would you need to call here?

PokerStars Game #5013922000: Tournament #24551914, $615+$35 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2006/05/22 - 00:05:38 (ET)
Table '24551914 57' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: K's full A's (27330 in chips)
Seat 2: VILLAIN (29158 in chips)
Seat 3: AITF (15380 in chips)
Seat 4: WhenPigsFly (34651 in chips)
Seat 5: stino7 (8301 in chips)
Seat 6: Junior71930 (63716 in chips)
Seat 7: chrille_swe (49235 in chips)
Seat 8: Per Hansen (49738 in chips)
Seat 9: rjsphx (21665 in chips)
K's full A's: posts the ante 75
VILLAIN: posts the ante 75
AITF: posts the ante 75
WhenPigsFly: posts the ante 75
stino7: posts the ante 75
Junior71930: posts the ante 75
chrille_swe: posts the ante 75
Per Hansen: posts the ante 75
rjsphx: posts the ante 75
VILLAIN: posts small blind 600
AITF: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to AITF [xx xx]
WhenPigsFly: folds
stino7: folds
Junior71930: folds
chrille_swe: folds
Per Hansen: folds
rjsphx: folds
K's full A's: folds
VILLAIN: raises 2400 to 3600
stino7 said, "slow play please"
stino7 said, "lol"
AITF: raises 11705 to 15305 and is all-in

[Hairydude]

I'd only call with AA KK and possibly QQ depending what the player I had raised was like- I wouldnt even call with AK or JJ

[Graham C]

Having gone out on a bubble with AA before, I'd say just fold.

I have to say that I would probably call only with AA though. 

[TightEnd]

Pass all bar AA/KK

[NoflopsHomer]

Pass all bar AA/KK

I agree, and even still there is a case to fold them preflop.

[Royal Flush]

I dont think the guy is a lock for the seat. I call QQ+

[The Baron]

I would consider passing KK here.

[The Baron]

All it takes is a rag ace to hit and you're gone with KK. I'd pass all bar AA.

[Highstack]

Errrrr......no!

This guy would still be in if he misses. I can understand everyone saying they pass big hands here, because as one of the shorter stacks, they would only expect you to have a big hand or try to hang on but let me put a different perspective on this......

Obviously you don't want to let your stack become so short that it will be an automatic call. At the moment with your bet there is 20k in the pot and its 11k to call. This is late in a wsop qualifier so you would expect everyone to be able to 'play'.

With this knowledge, does this not mean that you are able to open your range here so much more than you would normally be able to? This could mean that you are almost playing atc albeit that you have done the right thing by getting em all in first. It is always more difficult to push than to call and if you suspected that he was attempting to push the blinds of the shorter stacks around (only you will know his table image), then this could be a welcome addition to your stack.

To be fair Bazza I have known you pass acces pre because they weren't suited, so maybe YOU genuinely had the goods and I might pass, but another time my calling range could be much wider than that suggested above.

[Highstack]

Btw, I forgot to add Bazza, congratulations on your success. I saw on bf that you qualified.

Good luck mate.

[Bazzaboy]

Well here is what happened.  I felt it was ideal time for a re-steal. I believed he was raising with ATC to pick up what was in the middle, I was getting short but not yet desperate, however it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to steal with Stino being very short and a couple chipped up players who could take a "free" shot at KOing me.  Therefore I didn't want to ante down to a level where I was guaranteed a caller if I pushed.  The key for me though was the villains stack, calling my all-in would hurt him badly were he to lose therefore I felt he would only caller with a monster.......I was wrong.  His chips beat mine into the pot and I was convinced he was going to show me AA or KK......again I was wrong.  I was truly stunned at the call, and was hurling all sorts of abuse at the screen until that 9 landed 

PokerStars Game #5013922000: Tournament #24551914, $615+$35 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2006/05/22 - 00:05:38 (ET)
Table '24551914 57' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: K's full A's (27330 in chips)
Seat 2: VILLAIN (29158 in chips)
Seat 3: AITF (15380 in chips)
Seat 4: WhenPigsFly (34651 in chips)
Seat 5: stino7 (8301 in chips)
Seat 6: Junior71930 (63716 in chips)
Seat 7: chrille_swe (49235 in chips)
Seat 8: Per Hansen (49738 in chips)
Seat 9: rjsphx (21665 in chips)
K's full A's: posts the ante 75
VILLAIN: posts the ante 75
AITF: posts the ante 75
WhenPigsFly: posts the ante 75
stino7: posts the ante 75
Junior71930: posts the ante 75
chrille_swe: posts the ante 75
Per Hansen: posts the ante 75
rjsphx: posts the ante 75
VILLAIN: posts small blind 600
AITF: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to AITF [ ]
WhenPigsFly: folds
stino7: folds
Junior71930: folds
chrille_swe: folds
Per Hansen: folds
rjsphx: folds
K's full A's: folds
VILLAIN: raises 2400 to 3600
stino7 said, "slow play please"
stino7 said, "lol"
AITF: raises 11705 to 15305 and is all-in
VILLAIN: calls 11705
*** FLOP *** [ As ]
*** TURN *** [ As ] []
*** RIVER *** [ As ] []
*** SHOW DOWN ***
VILLAIN: shows [ ] (a pair of Fours)
AITF: shows [ ] (a pair of Nines)
AITF collected 31285 from pot
VILLAIN said, "idiot" 
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 31285 | Rake 0
Board [ As ]
Seat 1: K's full A's (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: VILLAIN (small blind) showed [ ] and lost with a pair of Fours
Seat 3: AITF (big blind) showed [ ] and won (31285) with a pair of Nines
Seat 4: WhenPigsFly folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: stino7 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Junior71930 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: chrille_swe folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Per Hansen folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: rjsphx folded before Flop (didn't bet)

[Bazzaboy]

Cheers HS

[Highstack]

I think that was a great hand from start to finish and no need for him to say 'idiot'.

As above I correctly suggested that it was possible you could make this play here and if he didn't belive you for any hand he was getting almost 2/1 his money in a race situation. If he did it for the right reasons and not because he is an "I have a pair" merchant, then it was good moving all round.

He somewhat spoilt it with his comment.

For future plays like that, I do like the restal and I would be prepared to be all in if asked the question with atc, but I prefer the reraise to be to something like 10800 (treble his bet) even though you only have 15k to begin.

Although you are still committed I think this looks like a much stronger when nursing a short stack, rather than just dumping them in.

[BigTomatoes]

 i would have passed

 wait for a better spot to try and double up

 you have less than 5 rounds left at the table , but time to pick up a decent hand to go with.

 why risk your chance of winning a seat at the WSOP being fancy  with 96 offsuit ?

[Sunday8pm]

Well here is what happened.  I felt it was ideal time for a re-steal. I believed he was raising with ATC to pick up what was in the middle, I was getting short but not yet desperate, however it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to steal with Stino being very short and a couple chipped up players who could take a "free" shot at KOing me.  Therefore I didn't want to ante down to a level where I was guaranteed a caller if I pushed.  The key for me though was the villains stack, calling my all-in would hurt him badly were he to lose therefore I felt he would only caller with a monster.......I was wrong.  His chips beat mine into the pot and I was convinced he was going to show me AA or KK......again I was wrong.  I was truly stunned at the call, and was hurling all sorts of abuse at the screen until that 9 landed  Cheesy

Very well put Bazza, at first im thinking your a nutter, but then i read your thoughts behind the play and it seems a pretty valid move to me.

BIG COHONAS are needed to do that though