Hey Ya'll was doing a study session yesterday with friend of mine. He asked me some questions that frankly I don't know the answer too. We ran the hand through ICMizer. Please take a look.


Heads Up Tournament Pokerstars.

Hero $159,877 (66.6 bb)
Villain $286,620 (118.8 bb)

Blinds 1200/2400, 300 ante

Hero in BB with 8c8h


Preflop
Villain raises to $5400. (2.25 bb)

Hero: 3-bets to $22,999 (9.5 bb)

Villain: 4-bet jams all-in.

Hero: ???

Please feel free to give us your thoughts on what hero should be doing here.
Obviously we ran the hand through ICMizer, but I was wondering if anyone had anything to add to this.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to add anything of value to this hand during our study session yesterday. Normally I would construct a range and blah blah blah. However, I'm not a seasoned HU player either and am not versed in HU, preflop stack size dynamics. I'm not sure if calling off here with 88 at this stack size is a good or bad thing. I'm more versed in -50 BB play in 6-Max, 8-max and full-ring MTT not HU...

Please give us your two cents, I'm curious to hear your theorem as well.


Thank ya'll.

ICM doesn't matter when heads up. We need to be good here about 41% of the time. One should adjust that number depending on how well you match up vs Villain.

When looking at this situation away from the table, I work backwards. I try to assign a range that is break even, then ask myself if Villain is tighter or wider than that range.

Here, one range that is about break even is 88+, AJs+,AT+. That looks close to what I think most Villains are 4 bet shoving, perhaps a little too loose on the off suit aces. Either way, it feels close to break even.

Personally, at these stack depths, I'd rather play more poker than flip a coin. Unless, of course I feel like I am at a skill disadvantage.

I personally don't like 3-betting with 88 HU in the BB. I'd rather set mine at 2.25x. Also depending on how many overcards there are on the flop and turn I'd like to get to showdown cheaply. If I were 3-betting this big it would be with intention of folding to a jam.

If I were raising 88 here I would make it about 7bb and I still would be folding to a 3-bet.

I doubt we have more than 38% equity at the moment. Villain is rarely jamming with a worse PP (in position) and I think most AJ/AT are just calling pre-flop.

I agree with 3for3 if I were playing against a superior opponent I would likely call rather than get whittled down slowly.

call IMO. Is he really doing this with QQ+? I think we run into overs and lower pairs enough that this might even be a snap.

This was kind of my initial thought process.

I agree with both of these points. The only other thing I think I was able to add was that the 3-bet sizing could have been cheaper.
I also lean towards having 88 in the 3-bet folding range rather than stacking off here.

Thanks for the imput.

Personally, I don't think we run into lowers getting 4-bet jammed on at this stack depth.

Given the insight above as well... I think putting the biscuits in with 88 here and potentially negating any future play-ability against villain dis-allowing any edge to be gained leads me to agree that folding here would be wise.

At a lower BB ratio I could see stacking off here. How low? I haven't worked that out yet. -21BB I would call. Anything beyond that I'm not positive.

30 bigs imo. Let's live to see another day here unless we actually fear this opponent.

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+1, I don't see myself folding with less than 30BB and I'll have a tough time calling with more than 30BB.

Sweet! Thanks for the input. Appreciate it guys!

This is an easy call unless you think you have an insane skill edge.

Of course I do. I'm a savage... LOL JK.

If you fold vs 4b shove then call pre.

I don't play hu tournaments but if it were a final table of a major event I'm calling all day.

Just my 2 pence ... carry on.

Pretty much this