(Part I) Playing Ax from BB as the short stack

[fatlane]

There is a story behind this hand:

Level VIII (200/400) - 2006/04/20 - 16:01:27 (ET)

Table '23407373 3' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: Skaffa (11585 in chips)
Seat 2: 69jackrabbit (7939 in chips)
Seat 4: oldrat (4745 in chips)
Seat 5: gannina123 (8632 in chips)
Seat 8: jhan26 (8303 in chips)
Seat 9: HjjH (2195 in chips)
Skaffa: posts the ante 25
69jackrabbit: posts the ante 25
oldrat: posts the ante 25
gannina123: posts the ante 25
jhan26: posts the ante 25
HjjH: posts the ante 25
jhan26: posts small blind 200
HjjH: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to HjjH [7d Ac]
Skaffa: calls 400
69jackrabbit: folds
oldrat: folds
gannina123: folds
jhan26: calls 200
HjjH: ???

My usual strategy here is to call and see what the flop brings. I hate big cards with shit-kickers.

However, would the better strategy be to push all-in knowing that it's an easy call for the chip leader who simply called from UTG. I'm guessing he has weak cards. Wouldn't he be more agressive with good starting cards? He wouldn't be slow playing good cards from here, would he? Do good players do that in this spot?

I have no reads on these players because this is my first hand after being moved to this table.

To see how this hand played out see my post titled (Part II) I hate when this happens

[bobcorn]

Checking is good unless you have a read that UTG limps with lots of weak hands. Someone with >40% VP$IP would fit that category.

[dave134]

I would check, but I generally play scared against big stacks unless I'm ready to go all-in. I'm not ready to go all-in here.

[ugignadl]

Bah. PUSH!

[ugignadl]

Oh, and why. Here's why.

You want to know what your opponents are doing. For the moment, let's assume that either you push and everyone folds, or some people call and you win.

Then, when you are on the BB, observant people will want to raise you with decent hands and only limp with very marginal hands or very good hands. This gives you a lot of information; a good check there in the limp case later on, and a good fold if you hold marginal cards and they raise. The great thing about this is if you wake up with something good, they raise and you know you may have them dominated.

It's all about information...