No-limit tournament in Mesquite, NV

[WiredPair]

Was in Mesquite, NV this weekend. Decided to sit down at a no-limit tournament ($15 plus one $15 re-buy). Never played in a no-limit game or tournament, but thought it would be a cheap way to learn! Early in the tournament, $200/$400 blinds, I'm in the small blind. Have about $4,200 (I would say this is pretty typical stack around the table). I look down to pocket 10's. Table folds around to the button who many of the people at the table know and openly talk about his aggressivenes. He has about $10,000. He open raises to make it $4,000 for me to go.

What is the correct play? (Results to follow after responses). Thanks everyone!

[zaxx19]

He raises 10 1/2 BB on a steal?? Just doesnt make much sense..to me. If you call you are hoping to be a coinflip...I mean even if he is getting cute with QJs or KJ your like a flip or a little bit better..I fold. If he is gonna play this irrationally you will have a better spot to double through him sitting to his left. I might call with JJ and definitely with QQ. Just my 2 cents and Im probably a much tighter caller than most.

[Spladle Master]

I don't know that there's a "correct" play, but I'd probably call. Similar situation happened to me yesterday, but I held AQ and actually had about 20 big blinds left. Button open-raised all-in and I called. He showed AT. If I'd call 20 big blinds with AQ, I'd definitely call 10 with TT.

Of course, this is very read-dependent. The AT guy I mentioned had been open-raising all-in about twice every orbit for awhile, which made me think AQ might be way ahead.

How often was the button making these ridiculously large overbets?

[WiredPair]

Unfortunately, this was pretty early in the tournament, and the hands he had raised previously never made it to a showdown, so I wasn't sure of his raising standards. However, this was his "biggest" raise and after only a couple orbits, I would say he had raised around three or four times.

[JARID]

[ QUOTE ]
He raises 10 1/2 BB on a steal??

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Zaxx,

He doesn't appear to really want any action does he? Also, hero noted that it is early in the tournament and he and most others only have 10x BB. This is indicative of low buy-in B&M NL tournies. The blinds increase rapidly and accordingly players loosen up their standards. I put a known aggressor on Ax, 22-JJ, or like you said some sort of broadway concoction. I discount QQ-AA. TT is a monster in this scenario, I call.

Regards,
Jarid

[Sam T.]

Massive overbet like this? Call.

I promise he hasn't got AA or KK. JJ, perhaps, just because people hate having to play the hand post-flop. But I'm betting on 66.

[zaxx19]

Id probably put him on AK personally...

I just dont want to play all my chips for a flip here.

[WiredPair]

I called the bet and went all in on the flop (only another $200) when everything was below 10's on the flop. We both flip over our cards and he shows QQ. Turn and river no improvement so I bust out.

As I thought about the hand afterword, I think I should have folded given what I thought I was up against. I thought at a minimum I was up against AJs. My thought process was poor at the time in that I was thinking that the "only" hands that had me beat pre-flop were QQ,KK, AA. I knew his raising standards would be at least down to AJs, if not possibly somewhat lower (was thinking maybe smaller AXs). However, given this thought process I agree that I am going all in pre-flop very early in a tournament where I am probably, best case in a coin-flip scenario. It was stupid on my part not to give more thought to his chances of flopping the overpair (assuming he was holding AQ, AK, AJ, KQ).

If I really thought that his raising standards were much more aggressive, I would agree with the poster that suggested I should call. However, given what my thought process was at the time, I think this was just a bad decision on my part.

Good learning experience, though! Need to play some more no-limit before I can get better at analyzing my decisions "under pressure". Its easy to spend a half hour (or more) after the tournament thinking about the correct decision when you have much less time at the table!

Thanks for the replies.

[JARID]

[ QUOTE ]
However, given this thought process I agree that I am going all in pre-flop very early in a tournament where I am probably, best case in a coin-flip scenario

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Wired,

How early in the tournament was it that with 4k in chips you only had 10xbb? It would seem that the blinds where escalating at a rapid pace? If so, you should welcome the better end of a coin-flip especially if there is chance you are in even better shape than that. The call is still ok.

Now if you had t4k chips and the blinds where at 20/40, and he raised to 4k this would be a different discussion.

Regards,
Jarid

[WiredPair]

It was early, but I guess it was what people call a "speed" tournament? Started with around 50 people and the blinds started at 100/100, then went up every 10 minutes starting at 100/200 and then 200/400 (and double from there). So, I was in the small blind at the 200/400 level when this occurred. At that point only a few people had busted out. Total tournament chips were 2,000 to begin with a 4,000 rebuy (don't know if that's normal or not). Most people took the rebuy before play even started (as I did). So, I had about 4,200 at the time which was pretty typical except for the large stack next to me.