All 3 other players on the bubble here are regulars, but all quite weak regulars. I've been wrecking the bubble since early level 7. Unless they find some big hands i'll continue to do so and hopefully go into 3 handed play with +11k in chips.

So, in this situation i don't wanna double up UTG and i don't wanna knock him out. Is folding and giving up this +ev spot standard? And if so, what is the maximum you'd fold? would folding kings or aces be correct?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (4 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Button (t1905)
SB (t1865)
Hero (t8225)
UTG (t1505)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A, 9.
UTG raises to t1505, 2 folds, Hero ?

I would call and call with KK/AA too, of course.

Note that I don't know how to pwn a bubble I thought you needed a really short stack for this to be really effective.

Here if you win the pot, you basically lock the win with 10000 chips.
+ you can't really fold and give him 600 more chips.

thanks for the reply rex,
if i fold this the stack sizes are 1865, 1965, 2100ish & 7800ish. + the 2100 is in the big blind next. all 3 players are playing very passively so unless one of them finds something to push with i'm pretty confident of winning the next 3 hands uncontested, so the 600 i'll lose by folding this isn't really a big deal.

in my experience this kind of spot is perfect is wrecking the bubble, me with 8k and 3 very even stacks.

the question is, do i give up this +ev spot for future +ev spots?

The thing is :
* in isolation, you have fantastic odds in this hand (2:1) + a really good hand vs his probably big range
* if you win, you have 10k + chips
* if you lose you still have 2x more chips than the second and can safely continue pwning

I can't see the situation being way better if you fold.

I fold all day here. In my experience bubble pwnage works better in this situation, where all the stacks are equal. People really tighten up and you can almost push every hand, as opposed to only stealing from two people whn theres someone is very short.

ug is the shortest and will be first to bubble. also, he knows you are pwnning so he will never get a chance to open push. so his range here is pretty wide because this is the last time he has FE. so calling is bigtime +EV.

i call here pretty much without thinking. if you fold you need to get back all the chips you gave away this hand and then get more. on average, i just dont think the bubble will last long enough for you to do it. plus if you loose you can still pwn a bit.

I take Rexs line here as well. If you lose you can still pwn.
You do not want the shorties to start catching on that they can counter your pwning by shoving themselves.

call, losing is not that bad of a situation for you and if you win you dont lose that many chips compared to the bubble ownage anyways.