Blowing a huge chip lead with 5 people left

[wuwei76]

This is my first 2+2 post, and I wanted it to be a testament of my own stupidity. $5.50 Tourney on HollywoodPoker.com. Hero is at T7000 with the blinds at T150-$300.

Five people left, with the remaining chips even between them.

I get AKs in the BB. Two limpers. Hero raises to $1000 to go. First limper folds, next limper all-in for T2800 more. What do you do? You fold, because you're cooler than me and because you know that it's probably a coin toss.

Well, I called and he flipped AA. And he won. And I was left with T1600 that I could not turn into ITM. And if the math doesn't add up, don't get all freaky with me. I'm sure my brain is frazzeld from the post-traumatic stress disorder.

Why did I call? Because things had been grinding along for a while, this guy had made several all-in steals of pots before, I was on reverse tilt (the I-AM-THAT-POKER-I-I-AM kind of thinking) because of some great reads earlier, and so I thought, I'm going to make this guy pay for his aggressiveness. Well, instead, he made me pay for my Cally-Wallyness.

Damn it.

(edited to add tourney cost and website where my lame call was made.)

[jwsly1]

I would not feel too bad about this - but learn from it. I am sure everyone has had that one person at the table who was aggravating you one way or another - and you just had to "show-them whose who". So you get up to make that big play - and BAM ... backfire and you are out or nearly out.

I have had that happen before, and I am sure it will happen again, but I have tried to remember it. Whenever I start feeling that emotion, I just keep telling myself, "play smart poker ... play smart poker ..." It helps keep me on task. And I know I will have a better chance of showing him "whose who" if I take my time.

Aggressive players win, when you start playing aggressively too. I find it is better to take your time and play the cards. Although that would have been a hard hand to turn down - sometimes it needs to happen.

[wuwei]

hi wuwei76

[ QUOTE ]
I get AKs in the BB. Two limpers. Hero raises to $1000 to go. First limper folds, next limper all-in for T2800 more. What do you do? You fold, because you're cooler than me and because you know that it's probably a coin toss.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you think it's a coin flip, it is a straightforward call due to the dead money in the pot. Think of the pot odds you're getting, then look at how often you win a coin flip.

[Nick M]

2 things...

1. The right play is created by the action, not by the result of the play.

2. get off hollywood poker.