first live tourney - chop at final table?

[Merlyn22]

This is my first post and I am doing it in the 1-table tourney forum because that is mostly what I play and this forum seems to have the smartest players and very educated responses. I live in Texas and drove to Louisiana to play in my first ever live casino tournament. Buy-in was $30 (1500 chips) with 1 $25 dollar re-buy (2000 chips). The tournament started with 10 tables. Each table played down to one person - then those people comprised the final table. I won my table without much difficulty as did my brother who also entered the tourney. I used bacis SNG strategy (tight early and aggressive late) So, going to the final table almost everyone has 35,000 chips. The payout is: 4th - 10th pays $100 - the rest of the prize pool is 1st gets 50% ($2025) 2nd get 30% ($1215) and 3rd gets 20% ($810). The blinds for the final table are starting at 3,000/6,000. I am given seat 10 (the button) to start. Also my brother, who won his table is in seat 9 and we have agreed to split whatever both of us win 50/50. Before the table starts. A chop is suggested. Everyone walks away with $475. They take a poll. - Seat 1 - yes, Seat 2 - yes... all the way to seat 9 who said yes - It comes to me - Should I chop or not?

[Mr_J]

Depends if you have a better than average chance of placing or not. If you think you have a better shot than most of the rest, go for it. If you think it's even or you a worse, take the money.

[SuitedSixes]

I had a similar experience at my first final table. I posted it in the B&M forum about two weeks ago. Everybody wanted to chop, but the chip leader wanted to play (I did too). We ended up playing about 7 or 8 hands, then the chip leader got beat on a runner-runner-runner straight and agreed to chop. The next three players couldn't even cover the blinds (I wasn't far behind), but we all got paid the same.

It goes against every competitive fiber in my body, but I have to admit it was kind of nice to have 10 winners, where no one felt bad. Everyone was shaking hands and congratulating each other afterwards. I would have felt worse if I had finished 2nd.

[unfrgvn]

With those blinds I would have gone for the chop. You're blinding almost a third of your stack every round, too much of a crapshoot.

Which casino had the tourny? Sounds like fun, I'm only about 3 hours from Bossier City.

[Merlyn22]

Well, I decided not to chop. This was my first live tourney - although, if I had thought about the blind structure, the chop may have been the best bet. Everyone at the table was pissed at me. One guy said - "You know you're gonna have 9 people gunning for ya." I was thinking - when do I not have 9 people going after my chips. Even the tourney director seemed to dislike my decision. I never caught a hand before the blinds got to me. And right before the blind reached me, the tourney director said the blinds were going up to 4000/8000. Nothing on the BB - had to fold to a raise and re-raise. Got Q3 suited on SB - I folded around to me - I went all in - got called by BB with 7 8 off suit. He flopped two pair and I was out. However, the table had agreed to give 4-5 200 instead of 100. I went out 5th. My brother went out 8th. I managed to outlast 5 people by not playing a hand. Perhaps, if my SB hand had held up, I may have been able to place, but with blinds that high, it really was a crapshoot. The guy that said i'd have 9 people gunning for me caught pocket Aces at the final table and still managed to go out before me.

[alexbrew]

The danger in not agreeing to a chop of that size is people will be gunning for you. With 10 left this seems impossible to do. With only 4 or less though, it's very easy. The three that want a chop don't play hard against each others' blinds, while they raise yours mercilessly. Implicit collusion.

I think you did the right thing. You drove 3 hours to play poker. It's far more about the experience at that point than the money.