Hi all,

This is my first post so plz forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong area or other etiquette mistakes.
I'm fairly new to playing hold em seriously. I've played five tournaments this week and won two! Which I'm very pleased with though with such a small sample it's hard to know if I'm just running hot or if I'm playing well (or a combination).
Last night I busted out on a hand that i think I made the right call on but I'd like your feedback.

I was short stack on the button with K10o. Another short stack limped in from MP. I called, SB called, BB checked. The flop came 10 7 3 rainbow. SB made a big raise, BB folds, MP calls all-in. I was fairly sure i had the best hand but I was all-in to call. I thought for a while and made the call. SB showed AJo, MP showed Q10o. Turn was a blank and the river was an ace, ending my night.

Did i make a bad call? I figure I was about 80% to win the hand when i called. Was my mistake limping in with K10o? Did I make the right call and get unlucky?

Thanks in advance!

I should add, SB was a bit of a calling station, betting, raising and calling with bottom pair or small pocket pair when the board had three to a flush or four to a straight, AK10, etc.

Just get it all-in preflop with a short stack.

Thanks for the reply. Is K10o good enough to shove? My percentage chance was much lower preflop tho right? And i didnt have much fold equity anyway especially against a calling station. But good advice thanks!

Stack sizes?
Blind level?
Players left?
Players paid?


Question is impossible to answer without knowing the above.

Blinds were at 2000/4000. SB had 40 BB or so, MP and I both had about 8BB, definitely the shortest stacks. There was one very big stack at the table who folded UTG. BB was a bit deeper, maybe 15BBs. There were about 15 players left left - two tables - top 3 paid.

8bb left, two limpers ahead, I snap shove KTo on the button. If everyone folds, you just made 3.5bb, which is a great result. If one of the limpers call, you are probably ahead of their range, so great, here is your chance to double up which you have to do a couple of times to get paid. Plus there’s dead money there. If you get called by the blinds or one of the limpers was trapping with a big hand, oh well, that’s life.

Long story short, you can’t mess around with 8bb, almost everything you do should be a fold or a shove.

Thank you. I reckon the result would have been the same - SB calls and I bust out on the river - which makes me feel better. But also good to know what I should have done differently.

look up tourney ICm/push fold charts. shortstack play is pretty much solved to a jam or fold with no guess work. when you're deeper, then things get more complex.

Never limp.

Fold or Shove, need to know more about MP and you put pressure on SB to make a decision without the benefit of a Board to work from.

If you get folds picking up all those dead chips is very good (2.5bb, ante?). On the other hand you did have a few more hands to look at being on the Button, but can you really expect something better to come along?

When you are under 12-15bb it's better to take the thinking out of the game. GL

You finished last bro. If you ain't first your last.

Well done on your two wins. Winners win.

Be a winner. not a loser.

getting it in with 80% chance of winning at that point in time is a winning play. losing on the river is a losing situation for yourself. Start winning. focus on winning.