Hello,

Hello,

Do you know how can I calculate the following problem using the available ICM Tools (SngWiz, SNGPT) or at least find close answer?

10 handed STT, 3 players remaining

blinds 150/300 (or 200/400)

BTN 3000
SB 6000 (Hero)
BB 6000

Hero's hand - A9, AK, 77, KQ

BTN folds

If I have I good clue about BB's resteal range, I want to calculate is it more profitable to raise 3 BB (and call all-in resteal) or is better to open push myself?

Thanks for your answers

With this hand range (which is a bit odd really, you have KQo but not AQo), your EV increases the wider BB calls. Therefore anything you can do to encourage him to get it all in pre-flop, the better. Therefore if you think he will resteal wider than calling a shove, then you should 3x raise it.

The only problem with this is you are ignoring the times BB flats, then you have to take a flop out of position.

This is sure, the resteal range for the guy is much wider than the range with which he would pay all-in for 20bb.

These are only example hands, not some specific range. I did not include AQ because the answer would be close to AK probably, but will be very different for KQ. infact I would like to know how to calculate the difference in EV for both options?

For A9o you think it's better to gamble vs semi-decent hand for 20bb when there is a stack twice shorter than me, compared to taking the blinds almost uncontested when open pushing?

I'm pretty sure with A9o your Ev increases the wider BB's range is.

You aren't comparing two EV situations because in both cases there are only 2 outcomes - you take the blinds, or you get all-in against a certain range. Basically your question in this: If I raise/call, I will get all in with a wider villain range than if I push. So with my hand X, does it do better with a bigger calling range (i.e. I want to get all in), or with a smaller calling range? (i.e. I want fold equity).

A9 is a still premium hand in this situation and I don't think you want fold equity.

If you want numbers I would suggest using an old fashioned ICM calculator, and plugging in stack sizes for different outcomes to find the EV of different strategies. But since post-flop play is possible it would either have to be ignored or simplified, and well it just gets too messy/inaccurate.

Instead you should just try thinking about possible advantages of a raise over a shove. Then try to categorize which strategy is best depending on your hand strength. Here are some hints:

• BB reshoves wider over a raise - advantage for monsters, disadvantage for mid-strength hands.
• You can raise-fold - possibly an advantage if you have a hand too weak to open shove.
• BB can flat call a raise - always a disadvantage, reduced FE, have to play pot OOP.

As always reads are a factor. Does BB understand ICM? Can he be exploited postflop?

Actually A9o is pretty close to wanting fold equity or not.



This is modelled in sit n go wiz, because as noted, it doesn't matter if we raise/fold or not - the outcome is you getting all-in against villain. What we can manipulate to an extent is his "getting-all-in" hand range.

Here we see with A9o, it's pretty marginal all the way. The only way we can really gain an edge is if we can induce him to:

a) get all in with a very wide (80%+ range)
b) fold extremely tightly

If you think open shoving will get him to fold tighter than like 5%, or 3x raising will get him to shove like 80%+, then take those lines.

Barring that, you might actually consider folding and passing up a 0.1% edge.

Important note is that this is assuming that villain can only do 1 or 2 things - shove or fold. He could flat pre, and then you'd have to do something on a flop. This of course could be advantagous.