We are down to four players in a $4. 180. I've been trying to become more aware of ICM issues and think that in the past and possibly in this hand, I have cost myself money disregarding ICM. In the 180s there is a big jump in $ between 4th and 3rd place. Let's say I knew I was in a race (which it turned out that I was) should I have called his all in re-raise with pocket 55s?

Poker Stars $4.00+$0.40 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t1000/t2000 Blinds + t200 - 4 players - View hand 866044
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

BB: t31413 M = 8.27
CO: t89951 M = 23.67
Hero (BTN): t55134 M = 14.51
SB: t93502 M = 24.61

Pre Flop: (t3800) Hero is BTN with 5 5
1 fold, Hero raises to t4799, 1 fold, BB raises to t31213 all in, Hero calls t26414

Flop: (t64226) Q Q J (2 players - 1 is all in)

Turn: (t64226) 9 (2 players - 1 is all in)

River: (t64226) T (2 players - 1 is all in)

std call.

While final table MTT play may dictate ICM more so than dealing with player types, give some consideration to the BB play style. Is he shoving every hand? Being ultra aggressive? Pushing over any preflop raiser. If so, then playing a PP against him may be ok. If he is tighter and patient, it is a fold to me. Personally either way it is a fold based on the BB play, but I am a tight ass player. calling isnt wrong here. I would have shoved preflop on the button with a pocket pair, esp if the SB and BB were tight.

But at the final table the bottom line is do you want to race for all your chips if you knew at the very least he has 2 over cards? At best you are a race, or behind... why risk it against someone with 60% of your stack and you are not getting the best price on the call? You raised 2.5 ish BB pre and he came way over the top. Fold, too much aggression against your massive chip stack to damage your finishing position. Push pre or get out of the way.

Jason: He was not a maniac nor was he an overly experienced or successful player according to OPR. But he had been playing solidly and not showed any junk hands.

I'm with you in thinking that I should have folded given the ICM considerations and especially my stack size. I've got a feeling that this hand is more a matter of styles rather than right or wrong but I'm hoping to get some more responses if that's not the case.

I think you played it perfectly. If you were a little shorter I would just jam pre. Folding here would be bad.

Brad, feel like elaborating a bit?

pp + 4 handed + std re-steal shove + non nit = call.

OK, thanks, but what if after playing with him for 60 hands we're fairly sure this isn't a player doing a "std re-steal shove." I'm still ahead of his range but I'm in a race as only a slight favorite. So knowing that, are you saying that choosing a race in this situation is standard?

Its situations like this where a majority of players (mostly online) like to shove her. Math wise, it is correct. Being a live player more so myself I rely on reads and situations. In a case like this, based on your description of him I would have folded to his all in. I dont doubt that calling is the correct math play. Just personal experience/opinion so take it for what it is worth.

If you consider ICM it's probably a fold.

You need about 0.46 equity (depends on the exact prizes).

Vs. a tight resteal range:

ATs+, AJo+, 66+, KQs (~8%)

You have 0.365 equity.

Vs. a somewhat more aggressive restealer:

A8s+, ATo+, 22+, KQ, JTs, QJs (~13%)

You have 0.45 equity.

So if you think he is more aggressive than that it is a call.
Considering ICM you should shove and leave the decision to the SB\BB.

[Q Considering ICM you should shove and leave the decision to the SB\BB.[/QUOTE]

I felt at the time that my stack was a wee bit too big to shove, but since I insta called his shove , I'm just splitting hairs here and I should have open shoved. The standard raise was only applicable if I was willing to fold which in this case I wasn't.

Thanks for all the helpful replies, guys.

Isn't open shoving a little bit over the top here?

Depending on reads i feel 2.5x is fine, as long as we never fold to the big blinds resteal. I just think that we're crushed by the blinds if called having open shoved.

Tough spot, I might limp pre sometimes although some would advocate that is really really bad. As played I lean towards folding unless villain is a reg, a lot of randoms would flat 22-44/QJs/KJs/KTs/QTs/J9s/JTs/A6s-A8s in this spot and not resteal lighter than ATo+/A9s+/KQ/66+.

I can see raising and folding to the shove, raising and calling the shove or open shoving, but I can't see ever limping with this hand with four players left especially with my stack.

55 is not a hand I'm ever limping 4-handed in a $4 180. We're on the button and should be raising like 50%. Probably want to tighten that up a bit due to the BB having the re-steal stack, but you'd be really surprised how light they show up here.