$1000+50, First major tourney, ITM, was this ok?

[Vancity82]

This hand is killing me today, yesterday I played my first "big" (at least for me) live event. It was the BC Poker championships. The only event I could afford was the pot limit $1000+50. 400 people, top 40 pay, very very top heavy.

31-40 $1135-1400
21-30 $1500-2500
11-20 $2600-4000

1-113000, 2-55000, ect. 7-15000, 10-5000

As you can see very top heavy, compared to online.

Anyways to the hand, it's killing me, first off I know the old adage play for first but I think that translates into opening pots, not coming into ones opened before you.

30 people left, a lot of short stacks ie <10000 chips, blinds 4000-8000 ave. stack 53000, I have 38000 after posting blinds, I'm on the button, only been at this table for three hands.

Dealt AKs on Button

UTG Big stacks, 100000+, raises to 20000, so maybe 99-QQ, AK/AQ, It feels like Queens. Folds around, however, three of the players to my right take forever to decide, they agonize over folding, count their chips, this is telling me, AKo, AQo, KQs, have been folded and pocket some pairs, so there's a good chance, some of my outs are in the muck.

After 12 hours, and the fact it's past the time I usually go to bed, I'm exhausted, make a ridiculous push, regreting it before I see what I enevitably knew was QQ, all low cards, which isn't suprising when everyone anounced they hand my outs. I just can't justify this to myself, I think the push was the worst play, call second worst, and fold the best given what I knew, I guess I was hoping he had AQ, or even AK, or that he would fold, but let's be honest no chance of that. What do you think of this hand?

[Ben5505]

Why push hoping he had AK as well. I wouldnt want to risk all of my chips hoping he had the same hand so we chop....or at best have AQ.

[sdplayerb]

i agree you should have folded, since the other players made it clear they had your outs, so you weren't in a coinflip.
it still is a tough fold, that few would make.
you should be happy with your finish and the knowledge you now know what to do.

also, with all the dead money in the pot, the mistake was not that big.

[durrrr]

This would be a ridiculously awful fold. You had AK (and it was soooooooooted) w/ a 5bb stack. UTG is calling you w/ any 2 he is raising w/, and your getting 1.5-1 on AK after an open. Stick it in everytime here. Everytime... not close.

[Jah Red]

I think you made the right choice here. Next payout increase is 10 people away, so even if that were important to you, you probably don't get there. M is under 3, push and miss, feel bad and second guess, push and hit, your a superhero. Therefore...


"Stick it in everytime here. Everytime... not close."

[ QUOTE ]
however, three of the players to my right take forever to decide, they agonize over folding, count their chips, this is telling me, AKo, AQo, KQs, have been folded and pocket some pairs, so there's a good chance, some of my outs are in the muck.



[/ QUOTE ]

I think that's a very big assumption. We're any of the guys to your right among the uber-short stacks? They might have considered calling with any two. Also, a lot of people like to 'ponder' in these tournaments for dramatic effect.

You have AKs. What better spot were you waiting for with the blinds where they're at?

[Vancity82]

Thanks, I guess it wasn't as horrible as I thought.

A better spot is to steal the blinds uncontested or pick off one of the short stacks willing to call with any two, and if you lose your still in, the guys to my right were the only non-short stacks. I guess you need to get your money in with the worst of it or a coinflip and win at some point, it's just that until then I had manged to avoid this. I guess my biggest grudge is that 31st only gets $1400, just $350 more than buy-in.

[nath]

You are probably reading too much into everyone's actions.
Unless you feel those reads are very strong and accurate, you can't fold this. If they are very strong and accurate, you may be some kind of poker genius.

[locutus2002]

I think you are confusing reads with the outcomes which confirmed your worst fears.

Even the best pros are wrong about their reads (at least 1/2 of the time on TV).

I would have pushed alot less. Push to isolate not because you're ahead.