[Fins]

Saw Flop | Saw Turn | Saw River | Saw Showdown | Won

PokerStars Game #2477789281: Tournament #11805981, Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2005/09/02 - 00:12:08 (ET)

Table '11805981 5' Seat #2 is the button

hachkc - t14727
RPMick Button - t7818
JM) - t2483
dimperdoo - t4980
scottwire - t17354
Craiture - t9700
butrflynlamb - t16438

PREFLOP Level XI (600/1200)
Craiture is UTG+1 with T T

What's the play?

[Pavel6969]

I'd raise to about 3x the bb. But I am probably wrong since I am an amatuer.

[coyote]

IMO, any reasonable raise (3bb+) pretty much pot commits you. You're not going to lay the hand down after making a raise. I think pushing is the move. I don't know if those chip counts are before or after posting the blinds, but it's likely at least one of the blinds will be coming along.

[yeltzen]

Just push. It's not like you're going to fold if you make a standard raise and someone puts you in.

I made this mistake last night... I made a 3x BB raise and was called. I was lost after the flop, and it put me in a bad position at the final table (only had like 3000 chips... 1800 after the blinds smacked me). If I would have pushed I would have lost anyways (I think butrfly had AJ so he would have called), and missed out on $5.68, but I would have had a shot to win the tournament. The way I played it I only gave myself a shot to barely place.

But let's wait for the final answer from tournament expert jojo.

[TheMightyJim2k]

you could just limp or raise double the blind, but that really decreases the likelihood that you are going to pick up the pot right there, or that you are going to be safe after the flop.

I think others are right you should probably just push, although if you really have a good feel for the table you could stop and go. You can mentally commit yourself to the pot by betting about 40-50% of your stack. If you are called you move all in on the flop so that a player with overcards who doesnt have it will lay the hand down before seeing the final 40% of the community cards. If someone reraises you almost certainly move all in, and hope for the best.

So either push or stop and go, but pushing is probably better.

[Wooderson]

I agree. Go all-in. If anyone calls you then stand up and walk away from the table, look pensively up in the air refusing to look back at the table until there is an indication the hand is over and you've won or lost.

Oh.. this isn't on tv? Ok, then just push those puppies in the pile.

[99%evil]

I have a hard time taking poker advice from that avatar , not you wooderson, just the avatar. I see the avatar and I just laugh, anyone buy the tip sheet?

That avatar cracks me up

I agree pushing is the way to go I think, if you've got good table presence you could take it down or at least kick out the folks holding aces with crappy kickers and folks with just unsuited face cards.

[w16227]

If UTG folds - al in. If he limps = all in. If he raises - all in.

You have 9700 and the blinds are 600/1200. Your "M" is just over 5. Shorthanded - this adjust to under 5 (meaning you are on life support here) - and the next round of blinds prettu mych will cripple you. If this was rally pokerstars - you are actually in worse shape as you are paying an ante as well.

TT is a very strong hand - and you are playing it no matter what. The odds of you having as good of a hand in time to make a good move at the pot are slim.

The only reason to not puch all in (like raising a smaller amount) would be if you knew that the other players were fairly strong. To them - a lower raise indicates greater hand strength (you are advertising that you want callers) than the all in move. Makes them think twice about calling with QK or KJ type hands.


There would also be somewhat of a decision based on the payout structure as well. This depends entirelly on the play of the table. It looks like nobody has a substantial lead - so most of the players are under blind pressure. If this is a wild table with a lot of action/all ins you may be better off folding. Why - well if the play is aggressive enought that you feel 2-3 players will be knocked out within one rotation, you could easily move up the money ladder. Also - shortstack play works somewhat better against fewer opponents (as the odds of multiple callers goes down). This is a VERY conservative way to play (RE - usually a weak move that you should never do), but applicable in certain circumstances. The only circumstance where I can see making this move myself would be if this was a sattelite with 6 seats available - and 7 players left.

[SpeakEasy]

Move all-in while screaming, "I'VE GOT A MONSTER!" Hope nobody has a bigger hand.

[Fins]

Originally Posted by w16227

you could easily move up the money ladder

The other stacks particularly dimperdoo & JM) were what made me question my play... a 3-4k raise would have left me an out and probably had a similar chance of picking up the blinds w/ me siiting after a weak fold on an unfavorable flop in the same boat as those 2 & RPMick... my quick thought was raising 3k was weak & 3600+ was just too much of my stack and I didn't want to take any more time thinking about it plus felt like the push was probably the correct play. Yeltzen's probably right that I probably wouldn't have layed it down facing a reraise.

Just another case of go big or go home

Thanks for the replies.