05-20-2002, 01:28 AM
A few days ago I’m one of 19 players left in a $150 buy in no-limit holdem tournament that pays 18 places. The three remaining tables are going “hand for hand”. If you get in the money you get $240 and after that the prize pool increases very slowly until the final few places.
There are T240,000 chips in play (160 players x T1500 chips to start) and my stack is somewhat below average at T7200. The blinds are T500/T1000 and there is a T200 ante. My table has seven players so the pot has T1400 in antes in addition to the blinds.
A player who clearly had been nursing his last remaining T300 in chips goes “all-in” when he still had two more hands to play before the blind reaches him. All others fold and I have AK offsuit on the button. The small blind has about T5500 (almost as many chips as me) and the big blind covers me twice over. Both appeared to be solid players.
I decide to just call. Had I subsequently been put “all in” by the big blind BTF I would have released and let him go head up with the small stack. If the small blind went all in and the big blind folded I would call (since I have a few chips left to wait and get into the money even if I lose the hand). Anyway, the small blind calls and the big blind checks. There is a T2600 main pot and a T2100 side pot
The flop comes 6-5-3 rainbow. SB checks, BB checks, I check.
The turn comes an offsuit 9. SB checks, BB checks, I check.
The river comes a 4. SB checks, BB checks, I check. The BB turns over a Q2 offsuit for a straight. The “all in” player had 88. So I make the money with T6000 remaining and eventually finish around 14th (for $300).
After the play I asked (not my normal practice but I’m just learning no limit tournament play) if my unaggressive call and checks with AK made any sense. The opinion at the table was split. My thinking was that I would get away from all but the best flops if I faced any pressure, especially from the big blind who had me covered. My worry was getting busted while “all-in” (who I put on at least a decent pair) made the money.
Did I play this like a bubble brain or was it OG with one player left to eliminate before getting into the money?
Regards,
Rick
There are T240,000 chips in play (160 players x T1500 chips to start) and my stack is somewhat below average at T7200. The blinds are T500/T1000 and there is a T200 ante. My table has seven players so the pot has T1400 in antes in addition to the blinds.
A player who clearly had been nursing his last remaining T300 in chips goes “all-in” when he still had two more hands to play before the blind reaches him. All others fold and I have AK offsuit on the button. The small blind has about T5500 (almost as many chips as me) and the big blind covers me twice over. Both appeared to be solid players.
I decide to just call. Had I subsequently been put “all in” by the big blind BTF I would have released and let him go head up with the small stack. If the small blind went all in and the big blind folded I would call (since I have a few chips left to wait and get into the money even if I lose the hand). Anyway, the small blind calls and the big blind checks. There is a T2600 main pot and a T2100 side pot
The flop comes 6-5-3 rainbow. SB checks, BB checks, I check.
The turn comes an offsuit 9. SB checks, BB checks, I check.
The river comes a 4. SB checks, BB checks, I check. The BB turns over a Q2 offsuit for a straight. The “all in” player had 88. So I make the money with T6000 remaining and eventually finish around 14th (for $300).
After the play I asked (not my normal practice but I’m just learning no limit tournament play) if my unaggressive call and checks with AK made any sense. The opinion at the table was split. My thinking was that I would get away from all but the best flops if I faced any pressure, especially from the big blind who had me covered. My worry was getting busted while “all-in” (who I put on at least a decent pair) made the money.
Did I play this like a bubble brain or was it OG with one player left to eliminate before getting into the money?
Regards,
Rick