A5s in SB, M=22

[Damien]

Once again, I am clueless in MTTs until I get Snyders book and WPTOHAAT for my birthday in a couple weeks. Please criticize this play. My initial reaction is that I should have check/pushed the flop... but have no idea if that is right

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t150/t300
(Ante: t25)
7 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: t10275
UTG+1: t7815
MP1: t25080
CO: t16277
Button: t12609
Hero: t13959
BB: t6695

Pre-flop: (7 players) Hero is SB with
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to t1200, 3 folds, Hero calls t1050 (pot was t1825), BB folds.

Flop: (t2875, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets t2000, Hero raises to t4000, UTG+1 calls t2000 (pot was t8875).

Turn: (t10875, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 is all-in t2590, Hero calls t2590 (pot was t13465).

River: (t16055, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t16055)


Results:
Final pot: t16055

[Cript]

Hero should've folded preflop, A5s isn't fun to play oop, especially against an ep raiser. Anyways, I'll usually check-raise push this flop so I get my money in as close to even as possible.

[emmapeel]

First of all I am folding pre-flop. This is a dangerous hand to call with out of position as I have a good chance of getting dominated by a bigger ace. In other words hitting an ace on the flop might not be a good thing. Hitting anything else that is good is a long shot and so the money invested to call has little purpose for me.

The flop is a good one as the stack sizes mean we can check-raise all-in with effect. Something like AK might fold and even against KK or something we are not far behind if at all. The mini-raise might be scarier to some but I still like the check-raise all-in as it is easier.

EP

[Taardvark]

[Stew21]

From PTF1 page 78, Preflop Basic Position Strategy:

"Position 9 (small blind) call in an unraised pot, otherwise fold."

[Damien]

Sweet, I'm getting that for my birthday... two weeks.

[Stew21]

So, you'll be legal now, right?

[Damien]

I'm 28

Fiance is buying it for me.

[Piscivorous]

For all of the reason mentioned above, this is an easy fold preflop in this position. If the raise came from a habitual blind stealer in LP, then a shove might be warranted. In this case, however, UtG+1 is showing strength up front.

I've been watching some of Rizen's videos on PXF and he says fold this, as he calls it, Ace Rag, for the same reason Emma explains: What do you do if an A falls? Especially considering that many of the hands being raised so strongly up front contains an A and usually a better kicker. Certainly you could flop a flush draw, like you did or a 55x flop, but the odds are better that you will totally miss or worse flop Axx and be dominated.

Believe me, it took me awhile to fold out AXs in the blinds. My results, changed for the better because of it.