NLHE: Small M question: call or raise?

Question

I've noticed quite often that when somebody donks out on me, i probably could have forced them out if I had just called, then bet on the flop. Example:

My hand: AQs

Their hand: 82d

Flop: 3d 10c Ac

Turn and river: two diamonds.

However, this would only seem to work with M's higher than 5. Under 5, this seems like a pretty useless play. For example:

My M = 5

Post bb = 4.5

Min raise from the button, call: 4, pot = 4.5 X bb.

Going all in at this point would barely be a pot-sized bet, any lower than starting at 5 and it would be smaller than the pot.

So, my question is: if you had a good hand with a small M, is it a better play to go all in pre-flop or post-flop? Is only raising an option at any point? What would be the best play in the above situation? Is there something you look for?

Answer 1

you are basically describing what we call a stop-and-go play, which is calling pre-flop with a short stack out of position, and then going all-in on the flop no matter what comes...personally, i am not at all a fan of this play, but maybe that is because i am somewhat math-oriented in my thinking...if you think you have a mathematical advantage you should try to extend it to the fullest imo, and that would mean getting it all-in pre-flop and hoping to double, while risking elimination...what the stop-and-go does is give you a better chance to survive, and if you are in a tournament trying just to survive and move up then maybe this would be a better play, but if you're trying to win first place and don't care about moving up this play has zero value

now one thing that absolutely cannot happen is to just make a raise that is not all-in...doing that accomplishes nothing that an all-in wouldn't, while allowing hands that wouldn't call an all-in to possibly draw out on you

Answer 2

Your question is a little hard to understand, but whenever I am calling a raise (even a min raise) and my M is low I will consider that a pretty big factor in folding.  I would rather wait, and with the conditions right (folded to me, a decent holding) I will push.

Answer 3

personally, if i have 5 or more BB, and there is a raise, i don't like to put all my money in pre-flop. odds may dictate that your opponent should call, however if you hit the flop (or more importantly the flop scares your opponent) you may be able to steal after the flop.

especially with the environment of internet players who like getting in a race for all their chips, i would much rather have the money in when they have fewer outs or they no longer have a race.