Final Table Follies

[AnyAce]

Hey all,
Played the FTP $24+2 WSOP satellite last night. About 100 entrants, 1st place is entry to $1500 WSOP o/8 event+$500 cash, 2nd thru 4th are cash prizes from about $225 to $90. Everyone else gets an "attaboy".

Made it to the final table through some combo of luck and skill depending on who you ask...

Eight players left. I have T9000 and I am in 6th place when this hand came up (sorry, no good hand history available as the 8th graders that do the programming for FTP havent completed that module yet /images/graemlins/wink.gif I think I reconstructed the hand pretty close to what happened)

Blinds 500/1000
I am dealt: A /images/graemlins/club.gif8 /images/graemlins/club.gif3 /images/graemlins/spade.gifJ /images/graemlins/spade.gif when I am 2nd to act.

I ponder folding for a few seconds and then I raise. Folded to big stack who 3 bets. Folded to small stack who raises all in to about 3800.

Flop: 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 5 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 6 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

I bet, hoping my 2nd nut low is good and praying for a spade or a deuce. Big stack raises (uh-oh) and I call.

Turn: 3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif
I check. Big stacks bets. I debate and then call all in.

River T /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Big stack has A2xx and more than my pair of threes. I am finished.

I think I really should have gone with my first instinct and folded preflop and waited for something better. However, with 10 minute levels and blinds coming wasnt sure if I was going to see anything better. (Hard not to be results oriented...)

Comments on all streets appreciated.

AnyAce

[Chamonyx]

Well done on making FT.

Understand (and agree with) raise pre-flop, have to call the raises.

On flop check to raiser and call. You have to put him on a premium low hand, and maybe better flush draw.

This would have left you with 4200 when the turn comes (i.e. half your stack rather than 1/3) and you can live to fight another day. Of course, if the turn is a 2 or a spade then all your money is going in anyway.

Just my $.02

[gergery]

Very tough hand.

I agree that folding is something to think about early to act with this hand. I’d probably also play it however, since you
- have just 9xbb
- will face blinds soon
- are lower stacked than your opponents
- its basically winner-take-all
But its close and if any of those points was different, I might have folded. If SB or BB was very short-stacked, then I might have folded since you want fold equity. And if table was particularly loose then I’d fold, since it’s fairly likely you are either tied or beat for low preflop and you need the fold equity.

On flop, I’d have checked. You still must beat the all-in guy. There is not as much incentive to bluff since you still have to beat the all-in player, but more importantly A2 is dealt about 12 ways while AA is dealt 3 ways, so its far more likely bigstack has A2 here. Your best chance to improve is hitting your flush, and if you do you want him in to pay off.

I might have folded the turn. There are about 6.5BB in the pot, and you have 3 outs for scoop and ~8 outs for half, so that’s right about even odds, but then your flush might not be good if you hit. Then again your A3 might be tied for low. Tough spot

[templar999]

ace,

check/call the flop. you are facing two raisers preflop. at least one of them has A2. you must assume you are behind. by betting and calling the raise, you commit yourself to the rest of your chips no matter what the turn is. instead, reevaluate on the turn. if your flush or a beautiful deuce comes in, fire away. if your virgin mary mother of all miracles deuce of spade comes in, well, you'd be luckier than me.

respectfully,
temp

[AnyAce]

Thanks for all the replies. I definitely missed some chances to fold and fight on. i didnt think it through enough in the heat of the moment.

AA