What is your play here with 77?

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em Tournament, 1000/2000 Blinds 250 Ante (9 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO (t25528)
Button (t31900)
SB (t45400)
BB (t31729)
UTG (t109607)
Hero (UTG+1) (t31342)
MP1 (t82905)
MP2 (t62639)
MP3 (t19996)

Hero's M: 5.97

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif, 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif
1 fold, Hero bets t4350, 5 folds, SB calls t3350, BB raises to t31479 (All-In), 1 fold, SB calls t27129

Flop: (t69558) 7http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif, 8http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, 5http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: (t69558) 4http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t69558) Qhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: t69558

I didnt really post this optimally, because you now know what my action was.....but hopefully I can get some objective answers....


My initial thoughts.....when I raised UTG+1, I told myself that there were very few instances I would be folding this hand. However, one of them was that the SB flatted here.....just the table dynamic made me put him on a big hand.....now when the BB squeezed...I thought this was pretty standard given the flat, so I assumed I am in decent shape against this range....however, the SB was my real concern. I did not want to go 3-way in this showdown, and I thought this was a distinct possibility.

Is this just a spot that I go with or is it OK to lay this down....not too spewey??

You have an awkward stack size with 15 big blinds. You're also in an awkward position with seven players yet to act behind you. If the table is weak and passive, I think it's OK to limp in an attempt to set mine and hope that no one raises. However, that's so unlikely to be the case that I think the best play is probably a fold pre-flop. Not saying that's what I'd do, but I do believe it would be best.

If you play this hand, I believe you have to play it super-strong...

The shove is marginal but acceptable as you can add 16% to your stack and from that position, I believe you will only get called by 1010+/AQ+. Alternatively, I think you can chop your stack... putting out a raise of 6x and going with the hand regardless of flop. I'm not as big fan of this option in this spot as you have so many players to get through and if two players go all-in behind you it will be a gross spot to have to call your money off praying for the perfect storm of two AK type hands. I prefer this option if your stack was more in the 12 BBs range and it was a more clear-cut 4.5x pre with the remaining 7.5BBs going in on the flop. I don't like the mini-raise as you have a rotten hand to play post-flop and are most likely giving an option on a large part of your stack to a caller. If someone ships on you, its a pretty nasty hand to call off with and by min-raising you have given the illusion of fold-equity to would-be stealers. Therefore, your read on whether you are being raised by a genuine hand is clouded.

On balance, I agree with Scott and fold preflop with some merit going to the shove.