Hu W/ A9, Shorstacked

[jmbreslin 0]

One of my game flaws seems to be my low HU winning %, so I'm starting to look more closely at my HU plays. Here is one from last night, going by memory ($1.20, STT on Stars).Finally got HU after a close battle between 5 of us for quite a while. I started in a huge hole (about 1500 chips to his 12000) but fought my way back to close the gap. Then I lost a couple of pots and found myself down by a chip ratio of about 3.5-1 (I had about 3000, he had about 10500). Blinds are now 100/200/25, so I'm not quite desperate yet but running out of time. Villain was a pretty decent player and didn't give me much room HU. I had previously tried completing a couple of times in the SB with mediocre cards to see what he would do, and both times he fed me a nice-sized raise. His calling range wasn't overly tight, though, which is what allowed me to build my stack from 1500 originally. He called a decent number of my standard raises, too. I was going to have to earn this one. I haven't been getting much to play with overall, lots of 95o, 73o, T5o hands. Then I'm dealt A9 in the SB.Do you push here? Or throw out a more standard raise and see what the flop brings, knowing there is at least a decent chance he'll call a standard raise?

[Yahkin 0]

If he's raising everytime you complete, I'd just complete. When he raises, shove all your chips in the middle.

[jmbreslin 0]

Interesting...make it look like I'm trying to trap him with a strong hand, huh? Let's say he checks - would you push the flop regardless, or reevaluate?

[qyayqi 11]

If he's raising everytime you complete, I'd just complete. When he raises, shove all your chips in the middle.

i agree with this. i am also okay with an immediate shove if villain has been dictating the action. i'm willing to burn a stronger hand to show an opponent that the all-in is in my arsenal. this would of course depend on his aggression & whether i've jammed previously.if you go with the first & he checks behind, then fall back to standard flop evaluation.

[jmbreslin 0]

Do you both think that the completion-push reraise would advertise greater strength to my opponent in this situation than a straight push?

[rog 0]

If he's raising everytime you complete, I'd just complete. When he raises, shove all your chips in the middle.

that was my first thought. Just like in Judo...use your opponent's momentum against them.

[Yahkin 0]

Do you both think that the completion-push reraise would advertise greater strength to my opponent in this situation than a straight push?

It definately shows strength, but depending on his raise he may feel he's priced in to call anyway. I'm really hoping to get all my chips in PF with this hand, and I think he folds to a straight push.

[jmbreslin 0]

But with a hand like A9 wouldn't you prefer he folds? That's not the greatest hand to do battle with for all your chips, since I could get called by a hand that has me dominated or at least has 2 overcards to my 9. Am I wrong here?

[litlebullet 0]

But with a hand like A9 wouldn't you prefer he folds? That's not the greatest hand to do battle with for all your chips, since I could get called by a hand that has me dominated or at least has 2 overcards to my 9. Am I wrong here?

ur wrong a9 is a powerhouse hu. many times you'll be against king high or a smaller ace can call a push too.

[Yahkin 0]

But with a hand like A9 wouldn't you prefer he folds? That's not the greatest hand to do battle with for all your chips, since I could get called by a hand that has me dominated or at least has 2 overcards to my 9. Am I wrong here?

I'm not real worried about being dominated here headsup....if so, well, that's a cooler. He's probably calling with something broadway and a mid to high kicker. We really need a double here and this is a good chance to get it. I think on average we are at least 55/45 here and more often 60/40 to win.

[jburn812 0]

First Off if you were more even in chips then you would probably not prefer to get it all in with A9 as we probably don't want to gamble with a 60 40 hand. Unless we are playing someone that we know is way better than us. However you are extremely undervaluing A9 HU. A9 HU is a suberb hand and with only 3000 chips I would be very happy to look for a double up here. You have to double and you the longer you wait the less chips you earn through your double. If he is raising I agree you complete he pops you and you push every time here with only 3000 chips.