Playing UTG with a small stack, 45 man SNG

I think this is a great spot for shoving. You have a stack that can pose a serious threat to everyone to act behind (something that won’t be nearly as true when the blinds pass). You’re in a good position insomuch that even decent hands in the CO and button will have to think twice about calling due to the players still to act behind. The bubble acts in your favor as well - no one at this table is interested in doubling you up and assuming the spot of most likely to bubble as a result.

Finally, while all opponents have stacks you can threaten, none of them have stacks that are in any way desperate to make a move - a great combination if you’re looking to pick up blinds. I think you can probably profitably push any two in this spot, but 75% isn’t a bad choice either if you’d like to hedge a bit.

What actually happened: You had KJo and shoved. Everyone folded.

Ok, we have great folding equity…but if we shove with 97o and somebody wakes up with a pair of tens we feel really stupid. I want something to show in the event of being called, so I would like at least two high cards (JT or better) or an Ax or Kx.

K8s +
22 +

I’d be shoving here with all pairs, K9+, and probably most suited connectors, so I’d say somewhere between top 50-75% of hands.

Staff analysis is ridiculous. You dont shove in this spot, period, except with mid pairs (because you dont want action and could race if called by A/Q+). Strong pairs you want action, and if you shove bs hands, SOMEONEs going to find a hand and knock you. It smells desperate, youre about to get hit by the blinds and your stack is dwindling. Any player worth his weight in salt will call with a strong hand. Sure, like any other situation, most likely the rest of the table doesnt have a strong enough hand to call, but also like every other situation, sometimes they do, and I dont see A/Q+ or 99+ folding to you.

I disagree, I don’t think theres much room for exploitation in this hand. I’m pretty sure you cant even shove weak aces.

KJs maybe, but any hand is going to be a very tight edge, and any opponent calling weak any decent percentage will tank your equity.

I’d bet you need them ALL to CONSISTENTLY fold like 88 and AJ, which become such easy calls vs the suggested range. If i put you on 25% I’ll call with AJ from the SB, nevermind 75%.

My range is probably something like 10%, kqs+, a10s+, 88?+ , definitely not any two.

I am not sure what percentages it corresponds to, but I am showing:
-any pair
-A7s+, A8o+
-KT+
-QJ

We have less than 10BB. We need to increase our stack as we cant wait anyone out, and it can pretty much only be done by showing all in.
If we push less than 20% of the hands you are dealt 5-handed, our stack will dwindle away unless we get really lucky.

As we now has a chance to open, and we should have decent FE stackwise vs the other players, this is one of those spots where we have to make moves.

We will have to expect AJ, 99 and the like to call us, but that is the chance we have to take. We can only hope that happens when we have a great hand.
I am not going to do the math rigth now, but I think that 5 handed we will be called seldom enough for pushing ~25% to give us a sligth edge. If we are called like 20% of the time, we will probably on average have 30% equity on the low end of our range(as we will sometimes encounter flips rather than being dominated).
Thus we only bust ~14% of the time, while we can increase our stack with ~16% when they fold, more when we are called and win.
Not a great edge, but the need to gamble on small edges is the curse of being shortstacked.

Another important reason for making plays: If we dont push broadly, we will not get called by AJ and the like when we actually have AQ+ or a big pair. So besides having a small value through FE, it adds to the value of our premium hands.

If we were like 8-10 handed I would off course only push premium hands UTG.

This is a pretty good quiz actually, and you can see by the answers how differently people play this situation.

It’s getting pretty desperate and the rest of them are all waiting for you to bust. Two or three blind steals however, and this stack starts looking a lot better.

That being said I am still shoving somewhat selectively. I voted 50%. There is something to be said for having a chip and a chair, and when you fold there is always a chance of two big pairs going at it moving you up a spot.

We still have 6 orbits before we’re dead, but I’m getting nervous. For me, anything less than five orbits means push all in with any two cards in this position. For me I still need Qx or Jx or any pair. I’d easily shove with KJo. Anything in the middle suited will not give you the kind of equity to make your odds.

Does anyone know what these percentages correspond to as far as ranges go? Are there any links to this info. Thanks.

If I wake up with KJ like the situation happened, then hell yeah I’m shoving.

My actual range though… any pair.. except KK and AA in which case I’m looking to entice a little action.
Any ace.
K9+
Q8+
J10

Even if you fold through the blinds you can still wake up with something nice, and then maybe your odds of getting called increase, since your stack has dwindled a bit. Plus like online said, waiting things out a few more hands, 2 other heads might butt and move you up.

I voted 50% but think that Cityborn’s comment is so old school that Doyle Brunson even says its tired.

I’ve lost track of the number of times that i’ve had 10bb and i’ve waited for cards, only to get those cards when i’m down to 4bb i get a pocket pair, shove and 2 people call cos you’re stack is non-threatening and then you loose

at 10bb your stack is scary. opponents will often fold AK cos they don’t want to risk 2/3 of their stack to a coinflip to some ‘reckless maniac’ (you).

Don’t live in fear, make fear work for you.

Steve Boyd got it right,with 10BB you can no longer be patient and wait for decent cards.Shove with top 40-50%.

Honestly, how many times do you guys have the mindset that you can wait and a great hand will come? We all know the great hands don’t come very often. Keep waiting and you’ll find yourself cheering from the rail. Time to shove with any two - if someone wakes up with a monster so be it. _CityBorn_ aren’t you friends with Broomcorn’s Uncle?