Button straddle is on for 5 in a 1/2 game, SB completes and I am in the BB with AKo… my plan is to shove on the button if he raises his straddle, He has around 80. I have 300 in front of me , UTG player(200) fairly loose player but not crazy opens to 12; folded around to the button who calls and SB (65) who calls; the question here for me is sizing .. how big do I go?


I went AI for roughly 190 effective , this was designed to guarantee a HU situation, I believe I am well ahead of the UTG players range and I do not want to play a bloated pot OOP and whiff which will happen around 65% of the time; I block AA and KK so not very concerned with him having those and if he folds then the short stacks will have to make a tough decision with there capped ranges.


was this reckless on my part? or are my justifications sound?

Well played.

I do the same thing.

It never works 100% because often our Villain has two live cards.

Even one live card can beat us.

And we race against pocket pairs QQ and under.

But even we we lose I would do it again if a similar situation comes up again.

I often limp UTG to make the same play against a cascade of limpers, or even a late postion weak raise.

if the table is raising pre enough i like it

reraising a normal amount is also good. i don't mind playing post. likely shows a bigger value long term

Two of your three villains are short stacks. Any raise will commit you to the pot against them. Because of that shove is OK. In a more general situation with deeper stacks the shove is a mistake at some point.

I think $80 is probably more profitable. Make it clear your putting the short stacks in but give UTG some chance to come along a little wider and gives you a chance to fold if UTG shoves over top,

... if you don't mind putting half your stack in with AK and then planning to fold to a re-raise while being offered roughly 3 to 1 ...

I think shove is good.

My general rule of thumb is any time a normal raise would be 1/3 or more of your stack, you have to seriously consider jamming.

thanks for feedback, I was torn btwn making it 75-80 or shoving here; had I been in position I'd probably go to 75-80...

results don't matter but we got this one through.. not that it was a bluff but Uncontested chips are the best kind

Nice hand. Assuming a fairly active table, I'd play it the exact same way. You picked up $36 risk-free and avoided playing a big pot OOP.

In position you could definitely play differently, but in general I prefer to have all major decisions made preflop when OOP like this. Your win-rate mostly comes from LP, so picking up uncontested chips from EP is great.