A2o from SB with 10bb — push or fold?

Q: A2o from SB with 10bb — push or fold?

Push. At 10 big blinds you shove or you fold — there's no stack left to play a real pot. Ace-deuce feels thin, but hold your ace and look at what it does: it blocks a big chunk of the aces they'd call with, so far fewer big hands can call you. And when someone does call, your ace still beats most of what they turn over. Any ace jams here. Push.

The answer

Push

all-in

The math: 10bb · any ace is a shove. the ace blocks their callers.

Why

At 10 big blinds you shove or you fold — there's no stack left to play a real pot. Ace-deuce feels thin, but hold your ace and look at what it does: it blocks a big chunk of the aces they'd call with, so far fewer big hands can call you. And when someone does call, your ace still beats most of what they turn over. Any ace jams here. Push.

The spot

POT · 1,500

preflop

Folded to you

A♠

2♣

500 / 1,000 · 10bb

Your seat: SB
Stakes and stacks: 500 / 1,000 · 10bb
Your hand: A♠ 2♣
Board: Preflop — no board yet
Pot: POT · 1,500
Action on you: Folded to you

Every option

Foldgive it up
Why not: Ace-deuce looks weak, so folding feels like the safe play. But the ace itself does the work: it blocks a big chunk of the aces they'd call with, so far fewer big hands can call you, and A♠ 2♣ still beats the range that actually does. At 10bb this is a fold you can't afford.
Pushall-inCorrect

The idea behind it

Under about 12 big blinds the game is push-or-fold. From the small blind, any ace is a clear jam: holding an ace blocks a big chunk of the aces they'd call with, so fewer premium hands can call — and your ace still beats most of the ones that do.

Concept: Any ace jams

See the glossary Read the methodology

Terms in this spot

All-in Kicker

Play it instead of reading it

The trainer deals this hand with hints, grading and spaced repetition — and randomized variations of it once you have seen it.