3 handed NLHE ?

3 people left in a NLHE tournament. 3rd pays 10%, 2nd 30%, 1st 60%.


Blinds are 100-200. Player C is all-in in BB for 100. Player B has posted SB of 100 and has you covered (3000 for him, 1400 for you). You are on the button with Ad8d.


What is your pre-flop play?


Thanks,


KJS

It should be in your and the SB's best interest to bust out the BB, so I would call if the SB would "get the message" and check the hand down unless someone runs into twopair or better. If I would expect the SB to fight over the T200 sidepot (i.e play the hand as if it would have been heads-up), then I'd muck and take my free 50:50 shot to lock up 2nd.


cu


Ignatius

One of the biggest factors for me is the dynamics of the situation. Do I think I'm going to make more money in terms of chips/hour playing 3-handed or heads-up? If the chip leader is backing down when you raise now, but you figure he'll start standing up to you if it gets heads-up, then do not give up any chip equity in order to bust the 3rd player.


That means raise or fold, as you feel best. Almost certainly raise.


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

KJS,


I think the best you can do here is fold. If you call you will give the chips away to the best hand, and in a three way pot you are not the favorite to win.


By just folding, you let the SB take the risk of givinging up some chips, and letting the BB survive another round. This can help you position yourself to gain some chips and move up to first. But, if you risk chips now and lose, your loss will hurt you more than the larger stack.


Good Luck


Mark

I think I move in here. The SB will fold all but premium hands, and I am willing to go heads up with this hand when the BEST the BB can have after this hand is 300 and 100 will go in on the small.


A limp is fine if you believe the SB will check it down.


The worst thing you can do is make a small raise (ie 400), then the SB can move in on you with any type of hand at all, figuring you will fold and he now only has to beat a random hand in the BB. But once you fold he wins money right away.


I would NOT fold, at least limp here. If the SB wants to come over top of a 100 bet, fine I will just muck.


So, it is close between limp and jam, I lean towards Jam--the 3rd stack is not that much of a threat anyway.

Ugh. I did the worst thing! For the record, this is a small weekly tournament with the same players so I knew everyone well. I thought a small raise (I made it 600) would communicate to the SB "I have a good hand and can take this guy out". I think it did just that and did not expect him to try to steal from me without the goods. Of course, he had KK and moved in. I mucked and it cost me 1/2 my stack.


He told me afterward he would not have raised at all if I limped, preferring to trap me after the flop, or check it down if the board got scary. Getting trapped was one of my fears pre-flop and it tilted me towards raising and just getting to roll them out v. the BB. Is this fear rational or was I playing scared? Hmmm.


KJS

many regular tournament players follow an unspoken rule in this situation, they call and check it out.(unless they have a lock)two hands have a better chance of eliminating the all in player than just one of you does. so you both move up in the payout structure. sometimes the regulars even remind us by saying something like."he's all in,just the two of us, or no side pot" they are giving the other player the sign/signal for what they hope we will do, which is "to check all the way to the river"

You should not get trapped in NL with A-8s. The flop would have had to come 8-8-K to bust you (or A-K-8). I am going to check down an Ace here anyway, so if I limp for 100 and he bets, ever, I just muck.