Unparagoned
04-05-2005, 12:03 AM
Alright guys, this is not a bad beat story, but an honest question about playing big stacks on the bubble. The three biggest stacks in the tourney are all at one table (21 players left, 18 pay). I am second in chips, the villain in the hand is first. the numbers are not super important but we'll say 28k and 32k.
Let me set this hand up a little. Since there were three big stacks and I had been a big stack for a while at this point, I was playing pretty tight, but aggressive whenever I entered the pot. I had just raised the last hand with a 32o (yeah, I know I said I was playing tight) but I was in the CO behind a few limpers and I had watched these guys limp and fold to raises in late position, so I thought this might be a nice way to collect a few chips. The villain in the next hand called my raise. The flop came KK2. I bet out 2/3 pot, he raised me the size of the pot and I chose to fold. He later told me (after I busted) that he had AK. Anyways, on to the hand in question...
I look at QQ in MP. Blinds 300/600/75. Villain min-raises from UTG+1 (a move that has not been unheard of at the table up to this point). It comes to me and I make it 3600 to go. Villain re-raises half his stack (basically just betting the pot). What do I do here? I have committed a good number of chips, but nothing that is too important really. I can fold and still be a solid stack (almost double the average stack size). My thoughts here were that he might possibly have been pushing me around, especially after that last hand, so he could be making this play with medium pairs or big A's thinking I was tilting a bit from the last hand. AA-JJ, AK all seem possibilities, maybe AQ, AJ (I hadn't seen him turn over enough hands to be able to say for sure about those sorts of hands; however, I suspect he was quite capable of re-raising here with a bunch of hands especially considering the fact that I had made a couple laydowns earlier at the table when getting re-raised).
So, what do I do? Is this one of those places where you have to push your edge and pick up a REALLY big stack that might well let me sprint straight to the final table and hopefully a top payout? Do I need to let this go because messing with another big stack (particularly one who has me covered) on the bubble is asking for trouble?
Right, so, results, I pushed, he called and showed AA, I don't improve and am out.
Let me set this hand up a little. Since there were three big stacks and I had been a big stack for a while at this point, I was playing pretty tight, but aggressive whenever I entered the pot. I had just raised the last hand with a 32o (yeah, I know I said I was playing tight) but I was in the CO behind a few limpers and I had watched these guys limp and fold to raises in late position, so I thought this might be a nice way to collect a few chips. The villain in the next hand called my raise. The flop came KK2. I bet out 2/3 pot, he raised me the size of the pot and I chose to fold. He later told me (after I busted) that he had AK. Anyways, on to the hand in question...
I look at QQ in MP. Blinds 300/600/75. Villain min-raises from UTG+1 (a move that has not been unheard of at the table up to this point). It comes to me and I make it 3600 to go. Villain re-raises half his stack (basically just betting the pot). What do I do here? I have committed a good number of chips, but nothing that is too important really. I can fold and still be a solid stack (almost double the average stack size). My thoughts here were that he might possibly have been pushing me around, especially after that last hand, so he could be making this play with medium pairs or big A's thinking I was tilting a bit from the last hand. AA-JJ, AK all seem possibilities, maybe AQ, AJ (I hadn't seen him turn over enough hands to be able to say for sure about those sorts of hands; however, I suspect he was quite capable of re-raising here with a bunch of hands especially considering the fact that I had made a couple laydowns earlier at the table when getting re-raised).
So, what do I do? Is this one of those places where you have to push your edge and pick up a REALLY big stack that might well let me sprint straight to the final table and hopefully a top payout? Do I need to let this go because messing with another big stack (particularly one who has me covered) on the bubble is asking for trouble?
Right, so, results, I pushed, he called and showed AA, I don't improve and am out.