[MID] AQo MP early in the money preflop
Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 1
I was having a discussion with friends about the optimal play here. It was early on day 2 of a $350 MTT, button already popped.
relevant stacks
hero in MP 22 bigs
UTG 23 bigs
BB 32 bigs
UTG opens 2.25x
hero in MP with AQo call
folds to BB who shoves
UTG folds
Hero folds
my argument was we should never be calling or folding after the utg open. It should be mostly shove but sometimes 7x
But as played after UTG folds do we snap it off or fold
other relevant info:
30 minute levels. Blinds were about to go up
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 4,017
What's your range of BB? It's all-in to call closing the action so you can compute the cEV and adjust slightly for ICM.
Since your AK TT+ will always 3bet (apart from some AA traps, perhaps) you're essentially at the top of your range. Folding the top of your range is exploitable so you should reconsider the strategy that got you into this position.
Something else to consider is that for the sake of future game equity, your effective stack is something like 14bb-16bb after folding (depending on how steep the blind increase is). Since edges drop as stacks get shorter, you'd be inclined to call off a less profitable all-in than usual.
the second coming of the second coming
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 68,986
If UTG is opening even properly here (or wider, as long as they're not overly tight) shoving over the open is better.
What kind of player UTG and BB are matters a lot. Do you have reads? Those really matter.
If UTG is tight and BB is one of those old school tight people who 3-bet like JJ+/AK, call/fold is fine. If UTG is opening properly, then 3-bet shoving yourself is best; if BB is willing to squeeze shove stuff like suited Broadway, as played you should call.
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