Getting reraised is information you need to stay alive.

It's early in the tournament.

In first position you have AJ and you raise it up three times the big blind and get reraised from late position to double your stake.

What's the plan now sherlock?

You have to fold here.

Clearly calling is not an option and moving all in is suicide so you have no choice but to fold.

Remember we are not calling to "see flops". This is just the same as donking off chips, occasionally you will get lucky but over the long term you will lose more chips than you gain.

The person reraising you is trying to tell you something and you need to listen to them. They are telling you they have a great hand here and are probably quite happy to push in this spot if you come back over the top.

Fold your hand and wait for a better spot.

Just because you see everybody else madly raising and pushing all in does not mean they are using optimal strategy. It means they are playing the SNG as a weak cash game and you need to stay alive to have any chance of taking them down.

You need to make it through to the four handed and bubble situation so that your superior poker skill starts to kick in. Many cash game players simply do not understand the concept of staying alive and using the blinds to maintain a chip stack.

Of course there are times when you get given no option but to push all in but the optimal strategy here is to keep yourself out of trouble and wait for a monster hand whilst taking down the blinds here and there to stay alive.

The person re-raising you is telling you that your measly AJ is well beaten and you will end up toasted if you decide to race in this spot.

It is your job to LISTEN to what other players are telling you. This is why it's not possible to multi table the six seater and maintain a credible winning percentage. You just won't be listening to what other players are telling you.

If you think you are being bluffed then go ahead and call, miss the flop and then get raised all in. All you've done is donk off chips that would have kept you alive for an orbit or two when we get down to four handed.

If you move all in here you are almost certainly going to be looked up.

Consider this: When the blinds are still 30/60 and there are five players still left those 180 chips you just donked off will allow you to see three more orbits.

Three more orbits means you will be allowed to see another 15 hands!

So there's your choice. Call with your AJ and see a flop spewing off 180 chips in the process or fold and see another 15 hands for free.

You decide.

Next Rule

Last update: 20-06-2008 12:27