Bubble Play - is this a leak?

[Scuba Chuck]

I can't tell you how many times I've come in 4th this way. Well I could but it would make me nautious.

Is there a better way to play this?

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (4 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Button (t3225)
SB (t1560)
BB (t1975)
Hero (t1240)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t1240 (All-In)</font>, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls t1040.

Flop: (t2580) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Turn: (t2580) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

River: (t2580) 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t2580

Villain put his tourney life on the line with A9. Which essentially put me out! I know I should be happy, but...

[ericlambi]

[ QUOTE ]
Is there a better way to play this?


[/ QUOTE ]

Uh, no.

[Phoenix1010]

Not sure if you're joking...
As a shortstack on the bubble with about 6x BB I can't imagine anyone advising you to play it any differently. It's a very easy push. And yes, you should be happy to have all your money in when you're dominating your opponent. Tough break that it didn't work out for you, but getting all in as a 3 to 1 favorite is definitely not a leak. (Sorry if this was a joke post after all.)

Regards,
Steve

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]
Well I could but it would make me nautious.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you mean "nautiated."

p.s. This is the opposite of a leak. Don't ask me what that is though!

[Texas Pete]

I think generally that is a good play.
As you can see, you can get called by a hand that you
dominate. Also, there is a chance you can fold smaller pairs who otherwise might have pushed a min raise.
Min raising is not too appetizing because you really don't want to lay it down if you're re-raised. Just calling.. well.. I don't know. I think if you just call you're asking for a push, and you leave yourself open to a miracle flop for BB (which he got anyway).

[sofere]

[ QUOTE ]
p.s. This is the opposite of a leak. Don't ask me what that is though!

[/ QUOTE ]

A cork? A plug?

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]
Just calling.. well.. I don't know.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think calling can be a good play if there's a very agressive player behind you who is nonetheless tight when facing a raise. Against a player like that, you probably want to play AQ for all your chips -- and he'll be glad to give you the opportunity.

[Big Limpin']

Well, i think the BB called you down with the mindset that he likely had the best hand. For what thats worth. 1000 over his 200 blind.. He stands to lose 5x what he had to.

I think whats important is if you could remember the situation, and the 5 hands before it. Had you been stealing/pushing preflop recently? Has chipleader been aggressive? etc.

The thing with AQ, its going to be the best hand most of the time. 4 handed especially. You dont mind calls. Double more than bustout.

The money went in when you had way the best of it. WOuld you prefer winning T300 blinds, or getting doubled by a dominated hand?

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]

p.s. This is the opposite of a leak. Don't ask me what that is though!

[/ QUOTE ]

My first thought was "a suck", but that doesn't really work...

eastbay

[sofere]

I GOT IT!!! The opposite of a leak is a dump /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Scuba Chuck]

Thanks for not flaming me too bad guys. This is how I've been finishing a lot over the past 7-10 days, and it gets u wondering...

Specifically my 4th places (distribution) have gone from 8.6% to 18.1%. Ugh

I've only been playing this damn game for 12 weeks now. It's frustrating when you think ur playing "right", and it ain't working out.

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]
It's frustrating when you think ur playing "right", and it ain't working out.

[/ QUOTE ]

We know. Believe me, we know.

It's good that you're asking questions and examining your game. This just ain't the problem here.

eastbay

[Mr_J]

Man I have no idea where you got that from /images/graemlins/frown.gif

Opposite of a leak is just leak-free/solid. Where's my prize.

[RyanPCooper]

It MAY be worth refraining from pre-flop all-ins when on the bubble. Wait until you get a really friendly flop, or wait for someone else to go all-in and get eliminated. Unless the other three are also playing really passive while waiting for your stack to melt, it will usually place you in the money. Now is not the time for risky moves, even if the would be a +EV play in a ring game.

Disclaimer: I'm pretty new to tournament play (hell, I'm new to online poker in general), and the above line of reasoning is untested... I'm just extrapolating from the old scenario where it is correct to fold pocket aces preflop.

Someone please tell me I'm wrong before I start following my own advice. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[daboze]

Waiting for a friendly flop at this point is suicide. You will occassionally slide into the money when someone else busts out, but this strategy will almost always leave you shortstacked and out in third.

And pushing with AQ is not a risky move.
You will usually win the blinds,
and will occassionally get called by far inferior hands
and rarely come up agains a hand that dominates you

this was just a bad break.
you double up in this scenario nearly every time and well-positioned for a title run!

[kmvenne]

Over at party I have avoided the bubble on the short stack and also made some good runs afterwards pushing with AQ and a fair amount worse in those situations. No better feeling then getting into the money or moving up a step because you got aggressive on the bubble and got the blinds you needed to go back to solid poker or induced a favorable call. Keep doing exactly what you are and your results will improve over the long term.

[tomscuba]

It´s a no brainer-fellow diver. Fact, you got a dream result. You were called by a stack with a hand you had dominated. So he hit it. Big deal. The play was right and the opponent was right.
It has helped me to try not to be so results orientated, and to focus on whether or not i´m playing good poker. Last week I isolated a maniac, hit high pair on the flop, and lost to a gutshot. Left the tourney and felt good about how I left. Found the right hand, to attack the right guy and got a good flop.
Remember that and take that good play you did to the table with you next time, in the form of confidence.
Good luck, and thanks for your help on my hand last week as well.

[rachelwxm]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for not flaming me too bad guys. This is how I've been finishing a lot over the past 7-10 days, and it gets u wondering...

Specifically my 4th places (distribution) have gone from 8.6% to 18.1%. Ugh

I've only been playing this damn game for 12 weeks now. It's frustrating when you think ur playing "right", and it ain't working out.

[/ QUOTE ]
I understand your feeling. But 8.6% 4th finish is way too low. /images/graemlins/cool.gif