Tens with limpers in front, no limit multi

The tough part here is the tight UTG limp. You can assume that if the CO had a strong hand, they would have raised. UTG+1 might be willing to sandbag, but is probably raising his strong hands as well, given the stack sizes.

Your stack size complicates the issue as well, as you can certainly just call here and hope to set. Shoving picks you up a lot of chips if everyone folds, but exposes you to elimination.

What about raising small? If you make it 1500 to go, UTG should be forced to play pretty straight forward. Since they’re tight, I’d suggest you’re never getting four bet unless they hold JJ+ or AK. You’re a 2-1 against that range, and that’s pretty much exactly the price you’ll be getting, so you can’t really make a mistake when you’re re-raised. Even better, your 1500 raise gives you a nice, clean price - if you get folds half the time, you break even on the play.

I either call or make it 1500 and probably fold when raised.

What actually happened: You raised to 1500 and UTG snap re-shoved all in. You folded.

Pretty standard play from UTG, I’m almost sure it was a good fold.

With an M of 8-9, almost 30% of my stack sitting in the middle and the fifth strongest starting hand this is an insta shove. Good luck to utg if limped with higher pair, I am out of position and am happy to take it down. Calling with a hand this good (for set value or pot control?!) is IMO a mistake as opps are obviously likely to hit overs on the flop. If it was 99 I’d take a flop but just calling with 10s doesn’t sit right with me.

I voted call. This situation has danger written all over it. Im playing for a set, check calling a small bet if ONE opponent bets to an uncoordinated baby board. Folding every other scenario postflop.

@ Richard P

This is early in an MTT. MTT’s are about endurance, finding your spots and capitalizing, not making rash movies in dangerous spots. Your play might take down some chips this time, but you could easily find yourself crushed and get eliminated. Or you could end up in a multway pot with a fairly large chance of being knocked. Patience is one of the biggest factors in being a successful MTT player. You have plenty of chips with which to play a lot of poker, be wise with them, over the long haul youll end up in position to win.

@ CityBorn

In your opinion how low does our M have to go to make a shove the correct play?

I agree with cityborn. Im not folding tens and im not calling against so many players and with so much in the pot. But im not movin in either. As said by staff, utg limp is of course very suspicious, he could have us crushed. Id raise to see what he does and if he just calls (and others fold) and theres no A or K in the flop, id move in. But if utg moves in, i would most likely fold. Unless Im flipping against AK for tournament life, he has me crushed. And I dont really like to flip either. If I fold, I’ll have several hands to move my stack in in a better spot. I know it isnt fun to fold with so much in the pot and such a short stack, but tournaments are about survival and this spot would just be too dangerous.

@ Richard P

I would pretty much never shove tens in this spot, regardless of M. Even though intuitively we might think as our stack gets shorter and we find a top tier hand, we have to shove, I would think we go from it being unnecessary and spewy to if-we-shove-were-definitely-getting-called-by-multiple-players territory. Its the situation here that spells danger. Too many players, too much suspicious activity. The blinds will have just passed us, and Id rather push a weaker hand in a more favorable scenario then toss my chips into a shark pool (even with a good hand)

If UTG is playing snugly, I wouldn’t even think about raising here, I’d call and see a flop. The decision here is 100% about the style of play of the player under the gun, you don’t care as much about what the other limpers have as the staff said, they would have raised their strong hands. I think when you raise 1500 here you’re getting shoved on by a tight UTG player about 90% of the time given the action…they just aren’t limping in that spot with nothing, if the blinds were lower maybe, but at this middle stage I reckon they have a big hand.

Agree with the staff on the snug UTG being the principle issue. A pot-sized raise will give them odds to call. With hero’s stack, 10s are too risky to shove with, so I voted to call. Raise may pare down the field, but hero is oop. If short-stacked, shove.

I voted call. See a flop cheap and hope for a ten. Its still early in the tourney… unless your tournament strategy is anything other than playing tight you really want to be playing the nuts in this position or close to it. Your outta position after the flop, however I’d prefer to see a flop rather than raise and risk not see a flop at all. Who cares about the pot size, thats cash game talk. Your read on UTG is tight so why go against your instincts and raise? Donkey play

If I only called, I’m running the risk of being outdrawn. Raising with a healthy bet will eliminate many players and increase my chances of a win. I have enough chips to survive being outdrawn but if I set, then I’ll definately have them on the run.

@ haf-a-rak, right, but if you call, you only risk 150 to win more than 1,500. Those pot odds are too good to ignore. Also, UTG has you covered, meaning you don’t have enough chips to survive being outdrawn. I think calling here is the right move, followed closely by a big raise. I think if I had JJ or QQ, I’d be raising here.

I’m with Rhycar on this–raising leaves you open to a re-raise with any two high cards, where your late position could allow you to see the flop on the cheap. If you hit trips, you’re golden, low cards you bet big, high cards you’re barely hurt. Plus, if you do hit trips, you’ve disguised your hand enough that non-pair high cards will bet big and you’ll be able to build a big pot. Call!