$200 live tournament. 500+ entries. 340 remaining

Starting stacks are 13k. I was up to 20k before losing an all in preflop with AA to 77.

Blinds are 300-600 level 5.
Hero - 11600
Villian - 11000

Hand in question, I'm in the big blind. It folds to the small blind. Average 30 year old. He's been raising every time it folds to him in on the button or in late position for the last hour. He goes all in for 11,000. Essentially an 18 blind all in. I laughed and tried talking with him and he was quiet and didn't seem very strong. This is an unusual play, the first over bet all in I've seen so far in the tournament. 18 blinds seemed huge when the average raise has been 2.5x at the table. 18 blinds really isn't that short in these live tournaments. I have 11,600 effective and look down at AK off suit.

My thinking at the time is that the blinds are increasing every half hour and I need to keep moving up. I thought I was ahead of a lot of his blind vs blind all in jamming range. Any A-x, K-x I'm way ahead, any Q-x, J-x like QJ, Q10, J10, I'm at least 60-40. Any pair and I'm about 45%.

I talk myself into a call. He has 77. The flop comes 8 7 3 and that's that.

So how bad was my call.. Would you just fold and go to the next hand with not that much money committed and essentially 1 to 1 pot odds. I have to think AK is in my calling range, even if just barely. If I can't call here with AK am I waiting for JJ+ but not AK? When would you make this call? 15 blinds, 12 blinds, Less?

Thanks

snap and dont think twice unless you want to annoy him with a slowroll

18 blinds effective blind vs blind against an agressive villain with AK? This shouldn't be difficult.

Thanks guys. Nice to get some confirmation that it was ok. I felt stupid calling it off in what turned out to be a coin flip and losing. Better luck next time I guess.

Snap call from me.

You have to make the call but think carefully about his range there. Do you really think he's shoving 18bb in the SB with Ax/Kx/Qx etc? Especially when a shove is so out of character for him?

A move like this is almost always a hand that wants to use all his fold equity and avoid seeing a flop, but won't be in bad shape if called. So typically hands like AK/AQ and middle pairs. So you know you're likely flipping but with the extra money and tourney structure considerations it's a standard call.

I agree. I think his range here is all pairs. Maybe only as low as 77. And A10 or AJ plus. The question is can I fold something towards the top of my range. I might have him dominated, but might be flipping and it’s the whole tournament on the line when I could just wait for the next hand and I’m only giving up one 600 blind in a tournament with 5+ million chips in play. If I knew he has a pair it’s a fold, I don’t want to flip for the whole tournament. But he has possible hands I’m crushing and given the tournament considerations I decided to go with it.

Yeah his range is very pair heavy but at worst we are flipping and at best we are dominating (almost never open shoving 18bb w/ aa/kk/qq) and with no icm considerations, I think this is an easy call.

If you want to run deep in tourneys you can't afford to pass up close spots like this. If you want to play to min-cash, go ahead and fold.

Thanks Maul. I agree. I’ll remember that when I’m in a spot like this and play to win.

Who has that GIF of Hellmuth insta shoveling his chips in the middle?

+1