Late Tournament All In????

Buddha · #1 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 04:15 PM

This is a tournament that I played in a couple of weeks ago. It was a $50+5 on Stars, and we were down to the final 4 tables. Ultimately I think that I busted out around 34th or so.

Anyways, a quick prelude to the final hand. I had been shortstacked for a bit, and had got JJ and doubled up against AQ. A couple hands later I get moved to a new table. The 2nd hand that I am there, I get 99 in UTG+1. I raise, get reraised all in by a bigger stack, and I called. At the time, I thought that it was an easy call because 99 is a decent hand against a random bigstack opponent who could have a wide range of hands. I get knocked out when he gets a flush on the river with his AKs.

Thinking back now, should I have saved the extra 70k or so chips I would have had for a better time, or is the all-in call with 99 an ok call?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t8000 (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP3 (t109970)
CO (t154740)
Button (t67380)
SB (t251172)
BB (t110500)
UTG (t53496)
Hero (t109548 )
MP1 (t167725)
MP2 (t105452)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 9

, 9

.
1 fold, Hero raises to t28000, 5 folds, SB raises to t250772, 1 fold, Hero calls t81148 (All-In).

Flop: (t362720) 3

, 6

, 8

(2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: (t362720) J

(2 players, 1 all-in)

River: (t362720) 3

(2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: t221096

whataboutj · #2 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 04:21 PM

Until this past weekend I would have agreed with your call completely. I did it Sat. night against Mr.Ticsay and got sucked out on the river (didn't cripple me but was the begining of a terrible run that I ended up bubbling out of the tourney) and then got beat twice last night in tournies on P* when I got my money in with the winning hand as a small to medium pair against two over cards.

I guess it was a tuff call because it was a new opponent. The only thing that I guess could have come as a thought process was just that - "It is a unknown opponent and maybe you should hold off for a better time) - that being said there is no question I would have made the same play as you
J

Buddha · #3 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 04:56 PM

I just wonder what some of the others think about the medium pairs in this situation. I mean basically it is a big stack in the small blind. I think that I have to figure to be ahead in the head, though a coin-toss is likely. Occasionally, I might be a big fav if he is overbetting a smaller pair.

I don't necessarily think that I made a bad call, but just wonder if I am better off waiting. Interesting to see what else might come of this thread.

shadesofgrey · #4 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 05:21 PM

I dont know if I like the shove call to the largest stack at the table. If you shoved vs bet out 28k I think SB would still have called you, but i like that play a little better since your taking control of the hand.

I would have probably laid down the 99 to the all-in and hope I can play the short stack..

Overall, i dont think its a terrible call - you have to pick your spot and you did with 99..

abby99 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 05:22 PM

The problem with a medium pair is that about the best you can expect is a race (not quite 1:1, but in a tournament that's close enough), although some of the time you'll be either well ahead of a smaller pair or well behind a bigger pair. I think the issue here is whether you want to put your tournament life at risk with this hand or wait/hope for a better spot.

I chuckled when I read whataboutj's comment, because until a week ago I might have made the same play as well. Today, I think I'd fold in the specific situation you described (which includes not having a read on your opponent).

I'm still learning to balance chip acquisition and survival. It's part of the "takes a lifetime to master" aspect of NLHE.

jojobinks · #6 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 05:27 PM

player dependent.

easy fold against hachkc (a tight player unlikely to raise without the goods).
easy call against megabit (a loose player looking to hit the table with a monster stack).
crying fold against an unknown player.

AceDeuceNoUse · #7 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 05:42 PM

Had a similar situation a couple months ago and got some great feedback:

http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/poker-...ld-you-do.html

Clipper · #8 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 06:17 PM

My main comment is that if you were willing to call all-in, you should have just pushed all-in to begin with. Just take a second to absorb that thought . . .

Another thing, if you ever put 1/3 or more of your chips into the pot, the odds for calling the rest is very compelling. If you only put 1/4 or less of your chips in the pot, I would have been inclined to get away from the hand. Unless I had some info about the player that raised. I would likely fold against a tight player, and call against a loose player in this situation. Since you showed strength by raising in early position, and you had no line on the guys play, I think you should have folded to the raise.

dad604 · #9 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 09:38 PM

Most of the better tournament players that I know would fold to an all-in reraise even with better hand than 99. Personally, I might have called but that is why I am not that good a tourney player.

Big Mike · #10 (**permalink**) 08-06-2007, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AceDeuceNoUse

Had a similar situation a couple months ago and got some great feedback:

http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/poker-...ld-you-do.html

I had a fairly similar situation a couple weeks ago too , and got good feedback also! Mine was different in that I was in position responding to an open raise. Seems that these mid pair hands give lots of people some trouble.
http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/poker-...-position.html

In your situation I'd fold.