What would you do?

[Gamblor]

Hypothetical situation:

One tournament for your last cent - you lose this, you go completely broke and have to work at Mcdonalds to build your bankroll again.

Top four places pay, 6 players left. You have T1000, three big stacks (say, T5000), two other small stacks (say, both at T1000), you are in 5th. Assume blinds are .01 and .02 (negligible)

You're in the BB and get dealt AA. UTG big stack moves in, other big stack calls all-in, as does on small stack. Folded around to you.

What's your play?

Side note, this is my 25th post. Huzzah.

[Gamblor]

Lets make it more interesting - the other small stack calls all-in too.

Gamblor

[DaNoob]

Unless 1-4 paid exactly the same, I would call the bet and download the McDonalds application while I waited for the flop, turn, and river.

In any other situation, I'd kill to have 4 people go all-in against me with rockets PF. No reason to change my mind now.

[fnurt]

Well, let's consider the scenarios.

If you play and win, there will be three players left, with 8k, 5k, and 5k (since one of the big stacks will bust the other big stack on the side pot). You will have one of the smaller stacks and be guaranteed 3rd prize with an excellent chance to win 2nd or 1st.

If you fold and a big stack wins, there will be three players left, with 12k, 5k, and 1k. You will be the short stack and you have very little chance to finish higher than 3rd.

If you fold and a short stack wins, there will be four players left, with 8k, 5k, 4k, and 1k. You're unlikely to move up past 4th.

Since finishing in the money is very important I guess it hinges on how much 4th place pays. If this is a major event and 4th place pays enough to keep you going for a while, then you'd probably want to fold and guarantee yourself that payout. If 4th prize merely represents your entry fee for 1 or 2 more tournaments (in which, again, you'll be struggling not to lose your last penny), then I'd call and go for the chance of a real payout, even if the downside is McDonald's.

[Justaloser]

Go all in and hope the poker gods are kind.

There are no assurances that the big stacks will bust out the little guy. If they don't, now you're in last place and you're chances of getting pocket aces again are slim.

[Cazz]

With most payout structures I'd go all-in.

If I lost, I would ask the winner "Would you like fries with that, sir?"

[Ed S.]

This is where you fold and move up a spot to the prize pool which will save your ass from working at McDonald's. I believe S&M talk about this in Touranment poker for Advanced players.


Ed S.

[SoCalPat]

Oooohhhh ... this is tough. You have four other players seeing the flop with AA. You're in great shape now, but I can't imagine not improving and still winning.

I once got into a raising war in a limit tourney holding AA vs. two other players holding 77 and JJ. They didn't improve, and I tripled up and won the tournament.

But against twice that field? I'd go all-in as well and convince myself that going bust isn't the worst thing in the world. Now, someone asking me to Super Size their order is something else, but that would require another pep talk.