Two Tough hands from Party multi $30

[GoSox]

Please give me your thoughts:

1) 1,800 players; pays the top 130. 500 left, average is t3,000 and I have t1,800.
Blinds 50/100.
MP2 Limps, SB calls for 50. Hero has AA in the big blind and raises to 400. My thought being I need to get some action on this hand to catch up in chips but don't want to All in and scare anyone away.

Flop Q 9 3 rainbow. I bet 400 and MP calls, SB folds.
Turn 6 and I go all in, MP calls and shows QQ for the set.

Any way to avoid this early exit ?? Even all in I think he would have called with his average stack.


2) 1,400 players pays top 130. 160 left and I have just enough to cover 3 rounds of blinds.

I get 88 in MP and no one is in yet. This is the best hand I've had in an hour and I debate the all in, and eventually fold. Do you play this ??? Everyone had me covered easily so I'm sure there would have been callers and there was still at least 5 to act.

I survived and made it to top 40 for $200+.

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

[curmudgeon]

1)AA vs QQ: good play until the turn... since he called after the flop you could check there and see what he does... but you are below average in chips and already put 800 in the pot, so you may feel committed to the hand..... and if he's in with top pair only youz in great shape.... most players can't put down AA (a universal weakness) so don't feel too bad about it. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

2) 88 in Mp: medium pocket pair w less than 5xBB left... easy all-in because you need chips NOW! Seems you did alright even though you folded them, so something must have hit you good. Congrats on your good finish. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[GoSox]

Thanks. On tournament #2 it was kind of comical. I was almost the shortest stack in the tourney during the last 200. Once every 20 hands I would get a good all in hand just before being blinded off and double up. Then I'd sit and wait while another 20 people got eliminated. Then I'd double up all over again.

I was happy just to make the money then I figured I'd get knocked out. Every 20 spots I moved up was just nothing but pure patience. People just start playing too crazy once they're in the money.

[cferejohn]

Hand one: You didn't say if both players called or just one, but it doesn't really matter. I think anyone is getting all-in on this flop. You could have made a bigger preflop raise, but I can't imagine it would have mattered. Tough luck, but if anyone sees a way it could have been avoided they are either a) much much better than me or b) way to freaking tight.

Hand 2: I push all-in with 88 here with nary a second thought. You are kind of close to the bubble, but how much do you really care about finishing in the low money? In this situation, when folded to me in MP, I'm pushing with middle pairs and better (77 and up probably) and decent to good aces (AT and better). Do it enough and it gets harder and harder for anyone to call you.

[cferejohn]

I will agree with curmugeon that check-and-call is probably a better play than the push, since the push may fold a Q with a so-so kicker, and you'd rather not. I still stand by the statement that there is no way all your chips aren't going in there if the other player wants them in. Check-and-call *might* save you a few chips if the other player is afraid of scaring out AK.