How do you deal with this situation?

[EnderW27]

With six, five and four people left in the tournament and the blinds at a high enough value to start stealing, I'm second in chips.
The problem is the chip leader is directly to my left and he has completely dominated the entire table. He has half the chips in play. I have a little less than 1/5th the chips in play and the rest of the table has between two and three blinds worth.

But here's the biggest problem: the chip leader, the one who has completely dominated the table, is just a loose calling station. He's played ABC poker, betting (and showing!) when he has the goods and just calling raises all over the place when he doesn't to hit his cards.

So now what? I feel handcuffed here. This guy isn't going to use his chip stack to steal the blinds of other players and I can't do it either because at any moment, this guy could end up calling me and that's the ballgame.

I ended up scratching my way into third place after the blinds hit me a few times because I just didn't know how to deal with this situation.

[pshreck]

This is simple.... let him do whatever he wants. If you pick up a premium hand, then go with it. Your mid pocket pairs and hands like AJ should all be chucked. This is not about chip EV, its about payout EV. Get yourself into a situation when your ITM, then go at it. He might call your AQ all in with a KJ, and then thats YOUR mistake, not his, if you do it before your ITM.

Sometimes when I have like 5 or 6k of the 8k in play, I find it funny that the other guy with 1100 will play any 2 cards against me. I have knocked these guys out with j2 vs there AK (believe it is correct fold AK here for this guy). I think that person should fold all cards but AA. The chip leader has the right to dominate... let him do so until your ITM.

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]

Sometimes when I have like 5 or 6k of the 8k in play, I find it funny that the other guy with 1100 will play any 2 cards against me. I have knocked these guys out with j2 vs there AK (believe it is correct fold AK here for this guy). I think that person should fold all cards but AA. The chip leader has the right to dominate... let him do so until your ITM.

[/ QUOTE ]

If we're talking maybe 100/200 blinds, then I really disagree with this advice. I think that folding super-premium short-handed hands like AK just because a big stack can bust you is weak. It's bad for your ROI and depending on the situation it might even be bad for your ITM.

[pshreck]

I disagree. AK is simply not enough a favorite against any random hand to risk getting knocked out... I'm only making this statement assuming some different factors, like your chances to go ITM if you just fold every hand.

You are right depending on the situation. If there are 4 left... chip leader with 6 k, you with 1 k, and 2 players at 500ish each... then yeah STARTING at the 100/200 level you have to play all premium hands for all your chips... 88 and up, AJ and up.


The original poster didnt imply that the blinds were eating him alive yet... and my post was in replying assuming he had at least 8 or so big blinds (and the other players had significantly less).

[Eder]

I like to play at the big stack...after all he is holding my future chips and is likely to call with poor hands ...3rd just doesnt pay enough to just try survive

[EnderW27]

I had around 1600 in chips. Chip leader had around 4000. Everyone else was less than 800 and the blinds had hit 50/100. So I was in no immediate threat of going out, but everyone else at the table was and I'm certain they'd have folded to my raises had I been selectively aggressive.

[pshreck]

Oh... most definetly at that situation... play cautiously with the leader. If he raises, you better be looking at AA or KK if you want to get involved. Play like a wimp until you are in the money. If you have good endgame, this is a +ROI strategy.

My ROI has gone up considerably since I stopped pushing with my hands like AQ and AK... you are likely to be in situations when you are either 50/50 or 60/40 or occasionally 66/33... but it is still not justified. I feel strongly about this as I have thought about the exact situation you mention often, and feel like I have a strong endgame where I am not giving up a 1st place finish by doing this.

If the shortstacks start doubling up off the big stack and get more even to you... then your strategy can change. But let them take the risks first before you do...