STT calling ranges

[PokerWoody]

Two situations here, I need a range of hands from you for each situation.

Situation 1

STT, we are 3 handed with blinds are 200/400/75. Both players have played fairly tight throughout and seem to have a good understanding of STT strategy.

BTN – 3,600
SB – 4,500
You – 5,000

BTN raises to 1,200, SB pushes all in for 4,500 total.

With range of hands do you call with here?

Situation 2

STT, we are 4 handed this time blinds are 150/300/50. Again, all players are reasonably decent.

UTG – 2,300
BTN – 2,700
SB – 3,700
You – 4,800

UTG folds, BTN raises to 900, SB pushes for 3,700 total.

What range of hands do you call with here?

[FirePhil]

1) JJ+, AQ+

2) QQ+, AK

I think 1) might be a bit tight given the price you're getting and the difference between 3rd and 2nd place money being relatively small. Also people tend loosen up a lot after the bubble bursts.

Conversely 2) might be a bit loose for the bubble.

[POB666]

Situation 1

It depends what places cash, if it were only 1st and 2nd then i would only call with KK, AA and possibly QQ as theres no need to risk going out on the bubble with the chip lead. If the top 3 get paid then JJ, QQ, KK, AA, AQs, AKo, AKs.

Situation 2

AA, KK, simply as you are chip leader and dont have to risk it all trying to make a hand

[PokerWoody]

It depends what places cash

Top 3 cash, some thing like...
$99
$150
$246

(it's a $55+$5 STT)

[POB666]

still the same for me then mate, you may think im tight but theres not always a right way to do things

[PokerWoody]

still the same for me then mate, you may think im tight but theres not always a right way to do things

I don't think you're tight at all actually, I might even fold KK in situation 2. I dunno though...

Follow up question.

In situation 2, what is BTN's range for calling and what do we think the SB's range for pushin is?

I don't play STT donkfests very often, but i've played a couple recently and am interested in the opinion of some of you who play them a bit more regually.

[Wuddle]

1. QQ, KK, AA, AK, AQ Suited.

2. KK, AA and possibly AK or Queens depending on whether or not i felt i was ahead or not.

There's not a great deal of difference, it's just the fact there's no need to get involved in hand B that makes the range slightly smaller.

[Dice Man]

In reply to the first example, I used Pro Poker Tools Tournalyzer Simulation right...I gave the button a top 20% of all hands (though obv. he could be stealing too). I then gave the small blind top 10% of all hands because he doesn;t have many chips invested and clearly thinks he's ahead. I then looked at what hands were profitable for you to call with. Apparently your hand is worth more post-flop if you call with the top 20% of hands than it is pre-flop:

Random Tournalyzer Results (119,116 trials)
Payouts: 246,150,99
Stack Blind Hands Post-hand Value Pre-hand Value
3600 --75---- 20%- $138.27------ $153.54
4500 --275 ---10% ---$179.78 -----$167.01
5000 --475 ----20% --$176.95 -----$174.45

So you can call here with any suited ace down to A4, any non-suited ace down to A9, any pocket pair 66 and above, K8s and above, and others (you;ve got pokerstove so you get the idea). It doesn't make sense to me but then the tournalyzer is pretty weird. Apparently if you fold (doesn't matter what hand you have), your post-flop hand is worth $180.75, so I suppose that's the real value we need to beat to be calling here.
So after some more trial and error it turns out you should call with the top 14% of hands. Of course this is all contingent on what you put your opponents on. If we say they have 10% and 5% respectively (which I think is too selective), you'd need top 6.5% (AA-88, AK-AT, KQs)