$85 MTT (Live)

Hey all,

Like my friend "cookiejar" said, we just got back from Vegas where we played a lot of poker and had a lot of interesting hands.

Here is one of the marginal calls I made which, unfortunately, knocked me out of the tournament

• $85 buy in
  
• ~80 players started, 16 left (2 tables)
  
• Blinds 1500/3000 - 500 anti
  
• Top 9 places paid

Action as follows:
UTG - Call 3000 (~50k before call)
Hopelesglory (me) - Raise 11000 (~30k before raise)
Player 3 - fold
Player 4 - fold
Player 5 - fold
Player 6 - fold
Player 7 (SB) - fold
Player 8 (BB) - Raise all in (60k)
UTG - Fold

The table is generally tight, however the UTG limper had just doubled up and I felt like he was happy to limp with a weakish hand UTG with his newly won chips (and not slow playing a monster)

The re-raier on big blind had been very tight and only played premium hands, however he had mentioned a few times that I had been attacking his big blind - he had also watched me fold 3 times already to all in pre flop re-raises, made by other big blinds at the table within the last hour or so.

Now I had a tricky decision here because my gut instinct told me to fold as I instantly felt I was behind (because the guy was tight / looked confident). However when I reviewed the scenario in my head I felt like I was compelled to call for the following reasons:

A) If I folded, I would have to continue playing with ~20k Chips and UTG next hand would mean I'd be in a very desperate situation (big blind was 3000)
B) The pot odds were around 3.75-1 (20k to win 75k), which could almost justify a call with any 2 cards. With 75k I would have had a great shot at winning the tournament
C) I didn't want to keep folding to all in re-raises preflop as this would make me look like an easy target (would make the final table a lot tougher to play)


So for the 3 reasons mentioned above I called the all-in shove and he showed KK which held up, so I went out the tournament.

The initial preflop raise should also be considered, as an 8k bet would have given me an additional 3000 (23000 total) chips behind, yet still been enough to make the weak hands fold? This would have also changed the pot odds once I was re-raised

Are the reasons listed reasonable, or if I'm confident I am behind should I fold anyway....feels like I threw away the tournament unnecessarily.

Or is just JJ vs KK that late in game

Any input appreciated!!

Steve (hopelesglory)

P.S. won 2 tournaments out of 8 played at Vegas - 2.5k returned from 700 staked, premium!!

With the info there, personally i would have folded.
If the guy is tight/confident & raising like that i would be worried too. Despite the stack u would be left with, u could find another spot to get ur chips in, in a few hands time. No doubt one or two of the mentors can give you a better insight & more practical reasons for their thinking, but that's just how i would have played it!

Just my humble opinion m8.
Very well done on a profitable & hopefully most enjoyable trip. Maybe see u there sometime!!!

id of personally folded i would rather be short and looking as weak as piss but in with a shot! than saving my ego and stood on the rails =(

from the info given, I'd of either raised less and folded, or raised 4-5bbs and then called....

You had enough behind to fold in this spot, and regardless of his comments, you've got him down as pretty damn tight, so a fold after your raise is probably the best choice - unless he happens to have 1010 youre in trouble or flipping... better spots could of been found methinks!

Congrats on a nice run in vegas tho, wpwpwp!

With 10bbs I very very rarely raise fold. The only times I do are a) complete steals with total trash, eg from button after folded to me, or good hands where there's massive action after me, like 2 or more other people shoving.

With JJ in ep here, utg limper, and 10bbs, I probably just flat shove, run into KK and hit the bar. If I raised, then 10-12k seems reasonable after a limper, and with only one person all in I'd make the call - I just dont want to fold and leave myself with 6bbs in 1st pos.

If you're even considering the fold here then I think you should raise a little less in the first place, or just flat shove.

Just a quickie as I don't think there is much discussion to be had. with such a small stake relative to the blinds, it is a crazy, crazy fold.

Any player who folds this hand will never win a tourney unless they run like a God. Given your investment in the pot and your equity against the all-in range you cannot fold.

If you waited for a better hand you may well blind away. Folding here is the same as those people who cant play a hand on the bubble. It is weak and will ruin your chances of a decent cash. If you are behind to any of the 3 hands that have you crushed you can always suck-out!

Good call - and good luck at the tables!