The No-Limit Toolbox — The Preflop Squeeze

I have seen that play in a tournament and I had a good hand, AQs as far as I remember. There was a raise in EP and several callers, then I called from CO and someone reraised all-in (SB or BTN). It was all folded to me and I quite didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if it was a bluff and I shall call or fold. I folded in the end (I’d have to pay half my stack to find out)

Pawel,

You should have been the squeezer! That’s the perfect spot to stick in a big raise.

If you were playing for 1/2 your stack, depending on how far into the tourny you were, you probably were getting the money to call there. Against a range of { TT+, AQs+, AQo+ } you had ~40% equity in the pot. Against a range of {AK, QQ+} you have ~30% and might be able to eak out a call and nobodies range is that tight. Unless you were in the first couple of blind levels, there was probably enough dead money in the pot at the time to give you almost 2-1. Throw in a few more pocket pairs and a couple of bluffs and you are even money. Easy call.

Yes, I know. It was not far in the tournament, but anyway not a large number of hands later I was forced to gamble and probably here it was much better spot.
I’m learning slowly…