Hi, it is a 10+1 sng at pokerroom. 5 people left. I am UTG with about $4200, button has $4500, and UTG has $650, blinds 150-300. The button seemed a solid player, and UTG is pretty loose. I am dealt 8-8 and raise $600 (I normally don't min. raise, but my thinking here was that when the BB goes all-in for $50 more I will be able to re-raise and isolate). so button calls, and UTG goes all in, and I re-raise it $1000, and the button calls. The flop comes down 7-5-5. I bet out $500, and the button raises all-in. I think about it for awhile and fold, thinking he has a higher pair. He turns over A-5, for trips, and takes it down. What do you think of my play?

Brett

Personally, with 88 I'd raise more, wanting to make no bones about it being me that has a hand to take out the short stack, with enough left to fold to someone who may reraise me immediately, you do not want a K-10 to wander into the hand, or indeed, an A-5.

Molina

I agree with Molina. Either raise more, and announce to the button you are committed to this hand, or just limp and call, which I don't think is too bad either.

I think the problem with the min raise is that, after the button calls, he now has the pot odds to call your re-raise, and with position on you, and a stack that threatens you, so I don't like that move.

Also, although I like your lay down after betting the flop, why did you only bet 500 into a pot that was, by my estimate, well over 2K? I would have been very suspicious of that raise (particularly at this level, where people don't understand 'teaser' or 'weak lead' bets) and might have even come right over the top of you with something worse than you had (like A 7)

HI, The reason that I didn't bet more on the flop, is that when he called the $1000 raise, I was worried he might have a higher PP, so I didn't want to commit my entire tournament to this pot. This way I figured if he raised me back all in like he did, I could still fold and have about $2000 left. I guess it would have been better to raise more preflop. I don't really like limping here, as my goal as was to play the short stack heads up.

Brett

Yes, I see your logic there, if you had just limped pre flop, got one caller on the button, you would have still been in a tight spot on the flop, whatever came off.

The thing with the small raise on the flop- I might make this bet if the pot was heads up (especially at the $10 level where people fold to tiny bets in comparison to the pot) but with one person all in, not so sure about it. My problem with it is that, in this situation, he could make that re-raise move with anything, especially if, as you say, he is a solid player, who has probably pegged you as the same (and therefore able to fold hands when you should). As you say, he could have had a higher PP, but what about a lower PP, AK, AQ etc etc, or, as it turned out, a hand that would have crushed yours. My point, and it is a long and rambling one, is, I guess, that a raise that size doesn't get you any real info. 3 times out of 4 I check in your spot, and the other one I make a much bigger raise. Admittedly, this would have busted me here!