I'm mostly asking about my preflop game. I'm absolutely loving the MTT grind, but the one thing I have a lot of trouble with is preflop, namely all the limpers that will call your 10x iso raise and when you miss flop and check back they just fire with everything (not a problem when you have tptk, because you usually get 2 streets of value from them when they have 5% equity) But also push fold ranges. Mostly what range to call in the BB, what range to ISO a shove, and how having a shorter stack affects that. (eg. I have 19bbs calling an 11bb shove from the BTN with A9o. Even If i have 55% equity vs his tight button shoving range, because people don't shove even close to NASH at micros losing that all in will leave me with 8bbs and no fold equity when I'm pushing.)

-So the things I need help with most is BB shove calling ranges, how different bb stack sizes differ that range.
-20bb reshove range I'm doing pretty alright with, but more help can't be a bad thing

Am I just putting hands that are close and trying to guess his range and chuck it into equilab?

I also need help with this hand here, should this have just been an open shove? This is at the final table $3.30 5k GTD (ended up busting 4th place with a guy sitting at 6bbs when I open shoved 16bbs OTB with JJ and got snapped off with ATo in the SB D: A OTF

There's a ton of ICM pressure with 2 shortstacks to my right, and huge pay jumps. But I'm in an absolute **** position. I can't call shoves from the right (they're being extremely aggressive) and I can't steal any blinds because the big stacks just play back at me knowing I have to fold nearly the top of my range everytime here.

PokerStars - $3+$0.30|30000/60000 Ante 7500 NL - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BTN): 1,426,094
SB: 2,398,433 (VPIP: 22.13, PFR: 16.67, 3Bet Preflop: 2.78, Hands: 123)
BB: 3,044,796 (VPIP: 19.33, PFR: 19.81, 3Bet Preflop: 8.57, Hands: 119)
UTG: 778,881 (VPIP: 24.24, PFR: 20.69, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 68)
CO: 616,796 (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 30.77, 3Bet Preflop: 16.67, Hands: 15)

5 players post ante of 7,500, SB posts SB 30,000, BB posts BB 60,000

Pre Flop: (pot: 127,500) Hero has K A

fold, fold, Hero raises to 120,000, fold, BB raises to 3,037,296 and is all-in, fold

BB wins 307,500

Try Icmizer for preflop push/fold

Grats on the FT, tough spot with AK there.

Personally, if I know the SB or BB is capable of applying pressure, I would just open shove. You don't really want to take it post flop with 2 short stacks there. He would also be defending way more hands to a min raise because he's deep enough and it's extremely awkward to play AK if you whiff the flop with that stack size and ICM factors.

However if we're min raising in that spot, since we're doing it for light steals as well as for value, I think we kinda have to call it off because AK is in our value range. I know it sucks to have to flip when there are 2 short stacks there but with the line you've taken, I don't think we can fold here.

regardng the equilab, you can use equilab and icmiser and define the vils range punch the numbers into both programs to establish a calling and folding range.

Although you have already answered what you should be doing in two paragraphs. You're right you're in a **** position with the big stack bully's next to you so any attempts at raise and stealing are futile as they can 3b you so wide and print money so its better to just shove it preflop i you're getting abused by 3b.

The JJ hand is the exact same and you gii dominating the vil and you were unlucky, but you need those spots to win the tourney so if you're getting bullied by 3b then you want to shove it pre.

In regards to icmizer/equilab are there any rules that I need to know that are more important than just looking at the raw equity vs villains range?

You played that AK hand perfectly, not many people would've done the same. Keep doing what you're doing.

+1

I can't imagine him doing this with AA or KK maybe even QQ?? I think he'd try and squeeze a little more value out. I also think your hand is much too strong to raise/fold on the button 4 handed w 23 bb's.

"Sometimes, it's just your time to die!" DOUG POLK

Oh, I forgot to mention that I don't mind the min open, also okay with a shove. Not exactly sure which is best but don't mind either.

I don't know if I can call. A double up doesn't guarantee me much more money. But busting losing that flip (he showed TT) is like $300 worth of equity.

I'm probably jamming the AK for a few reasons and based on a few assumptions:

Assuming-
i) The blinds are playing back at me so much that I can't steal or play hands against them very easily (seems to be the case from your description)

ii) The other players are actively avoiding going bust rather than taking any risks, and I am the net loser of the situation

iii) the blinds aren't totally reckless and so are unlikely to call me with an overly weak holding - meaning I can take the blinds down a decent amount of the time

Reasoning-
i) with the table dynamics as described, raising a smaller amount would not be beneficial unless I plan on calling a shove as I cannot expect to take it down pre. Calling off a 3bet is also less appealing (than jamming) because while AK will do slightly better against that range, I'd rather face the stronger calling ranges of the blinds and benefit from fold equity by open shoving. I'd also not be wasting chips trying to steal/ see flops against these guys, I'm only playing a value range in this situation - imbalanced as it is

ii) AK is strong, and if this isn't in the range of hands that I'm willing to fight with then my range is very thin indeed and I'm left folding my way to a microstack and reducing my chances of a top 2 finish

iii) (maybe the most important) winning the blinds would be a great outcome, but on the even better occasions that you are called and win, you have now totally changed the dynamic of the table. You'll be 1st/ 2nd in chips and no longer vulnerable to the ICM abuse that's been dished out - you'll be able to dish it out yourself! AK is a good enough hand to pursue this outcome with 24bb

Although it's gonna suck when you get it in, lose and come 5th, the upsides of the occasions where you win are significant and ICM calcs don't reflect the dynamic benefits that you would get