This is from a Doug Polk video of a $25K buyin online MTT. Blinds 300/600/80. CO raises to 1500, hero has 15K in the SB, everyone else covers. He 3-bets to 3900 and folds to a push. It seems like he almost has odds to call with this hand. I was wondering if 3-bet/fold here is standard or whether flat call or push might be better.

Yeah I saw this hand. He had ATo I believe. I think it's a really bad play to 3bet/fold. His 3 bet should be wide against CO so CO could be ripping in all kinds of hands like big Broadway hands, pretty much any pair, and even wheel Suited Aces we're doing well against. Cutoff also probably flats with AA and maybe KK instead of 4 bet ripping.

Doug is actually shockingly bad at short stacked poker for such a top player. I mean he's better than the average player, for sure, but I've seen him open rip hands for 20BB or over in spots where it's probably marginally +EV but definitely not the best move. Of course he's a beast at deeper stacks so he's still a great overall player but honestly I think I'm a better short stacked player (like <25BB) than him and any mid-stakes sit n go grinder probably plays a better short stack strategy than him.

As for the hand with ATo, 3bet/fold is really bad (we have too strong a hand too 3 bet/fold against CO), and call is also bad. Playing ATo OOP is gonna be really hard. I actually 3b/call is quite reasonable depending on how wide CO is 4 bet ripping. I would definitely be 3b/call with AJ+ and happily 3bet/calling against a button raise with ATo (Jacobson actually did this against Van Hoof 3 handed in the Main event with ATo in SB vs Button raise at like 25BB, he snap called and Van Hoof had A5s).

If CO is 4 betting jamming 22-KK,KJ+,AT+,and A2-A5s (a reasonable range imo), ATo has 49% equity.

Against CO it's probably more marginal and for that reason I like jam best here. Yeah it's a big shove but CO has a wide range that makes it definitely +EV.

I left out that it was ATo. Yeh, I would push and thought 3b/fold was the worst option here, as the hand is too strong for that. Thought it was a somewhat interesting spot, and appreciate the analysis.

He is a cash game player, so not surprising. I have seen some other great MTT videos with huge short stack errors. Obviously, he is a great player and makes great youtube videos.

Yeah I thought he was calling it off and inducing, no idea why you'd fold AT after putting in so much vs a guy that might shove A5s and stuff.

MBN to be on a first name basis with a "top player."

I really don't think it should be a surprise that a HS HU NLHE crusher would not be too goot at 10-25bb MTT strat. I mean you're him, would you rather study Short Stacked MTT strat OR:

1. Produce an instructional HU NLHE vid that you sell for $1k a pop.
2. Play HU when u can get action (pretty sure his hourly rate is pretty goot.)
3. Learn PLO
4. Produce some other training BS for your online site.
5. Spend some of the $$$ you've made (aka enjoy the high life etc.)
6. etc...you get the idea imo

It may very well be worth his time to study 10-25bb MTT strat if hes gonna travel the MTT circuit to play erry $25K+ HR, or just play every one that's in Vegas, but then there's the ego thing...