In the past five years, the squeeze play has become one of the most common plays in no-limit hold’em tournament poker. It was first brought into the limelight by Dan Harrington in his excellent ‘Harrington on Hold’em’ series of books, in addition to the squeeze play he pulled off at the final table of the WSOP Main Event in 2004. In that hand, Josh Arieh opened the pot for a raise with K-9 offsuit and was called by eventual champion Greg Raymer who held A-2 of clubs. Harrington was on the button with 6-2 offsuit and made a large reraise. Harrington had been playing conservatively up to that point and his raise was given a lot of credit. So much so that David Williams folded A-Q in the big blind. Arieh and Raymer followed suit and Harrington picked up a large pot.
The squeeze play can be incredibly effective for several reasons. First, it shows extreme strength. A prerequisite of the squeeze play is that there are already two (or more) people in a raised pot, and to make a reraise in this situation a player is usually going to need a very good hand. Second, it is effective because the initial raiser has to worry about the player who called his initial raise. If they have a marginal hand like A-J or K-Q, they are usually going to toss their hand thinking they are well behind. The raise in effect ‘squeezes’ the other players out of the pot, hence the name.
Squeeze saturation
However, due to the proliferation of the squeeze play it is given less respect than it might have had in the past. It is almost at the point that most players automatically assume a player is making a move in a squeeze situation. This doesn’t mean that it is a useless play though – far from it. If you have shown the ability to make a squeeze play with a legitimate hand and your opponents have seen it, the opportunity is likely there for you to do it on a bluff. This is why it’s important that if you are going to squeeze with a marginal hand you should also do so with a monster. Without any information on your play, most opponents will base their belief on what they perceive the average player to do – and give you credibility for having a big hand.
Stack considerations
Stack size often comes into play when deciding whether or not to make a squeeze play in an MTT. As a small stack it can be a perfect opportunity to accumulate a significant amount of chips with minimal risk. As a big stack, you can utilise your chips to force the weaker stacks to fold.
For a small to medium stack, moving all-in over the top of a raise and a call can give you enough chips to survive several more orbits. For example, let’s say you have 15,000 in chips with the blinds at 500/1,000 and a 100 ante at a ten-handed table. A player in middle position raises to 3,000 and is called by the cutoff. You move all-in for 15,000 from the small blind and both players fold. You add 8,000 to your stack, an increase of over 50% to your stack size.
When pulling off a squeeze play as a short or medium stack it is important to note whether or not you have any fold equity. If the initial raiser or caller has a small to medium stack like yours to begin with, you might not be able to induce a fold. If you have ten big blinds or less your opponents may be priced in to call with a wide range of hands. So what hands should you be squeezing with as a short stack? If your opponents will fold, it doesn’t matter. If they won’t fold or there is a good probability they will call, your range needs to avoid ‘easily dominated’ hands like small Aces, K-9 and Q-T.
Table bully
For a big stack, the squeeze play can be a thing of beauty because the players left in the hand know they will be risking their tournament life if they take you on. Let’s say the initial raiser starts the hand with 25,000 with the blinds at 500/1,000. He makes it 3,000 and is called by a player who has 30,000. You have 100,000 and make it 10,000 to go. Both of these players know they can’t just call. They will either have to move all-in and risk their tournament life or fold. This is why the squeeze play is a great source of additional chips for a big stack.
Be sure to know which players won’t fold hands like medium pairs, A-J and K-Q. As with most things in poker, paying close attention to the tendencies of your opponents is crucial.
Winning conditions
When considering a squeeze play in an MTT there are several factors you need to evaluate before you pull the trigger.
-
Factor 1: The original raiser
Knowing the tendencies of the player who opened the action is important. Pulling a squeeze against a conservative player may or may not be a good move depending on their image of you. It is their tight nature that might make them fold a hand as strong as Jacks or a big Ace, so don’t discount making a squeeze play if the original raise comes from a rock. On the same level, if the initial raiser is a maniac or a savvy internet player who doesn’t ever give a squeeze credit then you should only make this play with a legitimate hand. Also note that if any player raises from early position you should give them more credit for having a legitimate hand.
Most players who call a raise do so because they want to see a flop and therefore will usually toss their hand quickly into the muck if you squeeze. However, you must be aware of tricky players who like to flat-call raises with big hands with the sole intent of inducing a squeeze play.
-
Factor 3: The number of callers
There are two schools of thought on this one. First, the more callers there are, the more profitable the squeeze play is because of all the extra money in the pot. Second, the more callers there are, the more likely that one of the players will have a legitimate hand and one of them will look you up. This is where your observations of the players involved in the hand will be crucial. If the players in the hand are weak, passive, or tight and will fold to adverse pressure, then raise it up. If you know there is no way they will fold, then don’t squeeze unless you have a legitimate hand. If you do have a legitimate hand, this can be a great opportunity to win a huge pot.
-
Factor 4: The strength of your hand
You don’t always need a hand in order to pull off a squeeze play, but fast-playing a monster can be a great way to get paid off by a worse hand. Weaker hands can be squeezed if the situation is favourable.