Need some advice

[JGalt]

Party SNG 55+5 Blinds 200-400 8 hands left
4 players left I'm in the BB

SB T3000+
BB T1800 after posting J /images/graemlins/diamond.gif6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif
UTG T890
Button T3000+

UTG raises all-in, everyone folds to me. This table has been super tight the whole time and I am pretty sure he has at least a high card and figure he has me beat. I called and he shows KQo and takes the pot, I end up 4th a few hands later.

My question is how would others have handled this situation, was the call worth it?

[mackthefork]

Tough, i would say call, you're getting about 3-1 on your call, you have rubbish but you have the odds to make a call.

Regards ML

[AleoMagus]

This is actually an interesting situation

More interesting than I had thought at first glance. I was going to respond like this:

Absolutely you have to call here. It's 490 to call in order to win 1980 and move into the money. Even if you figure him for two overcards (which he had) or even a pocket pair 7-10, he's only about a 2-1 favorite when you are getting almost 3-1 on the call.

Now I am not so sure. If you fold here, you will still have 1800 chips and despite now being at 1490, he will be moving straight into the blinds. He will only have 1090 after posting and he will still be the biggest target for the larger stacks. If you call and lose, you will only be left with 1310 and will be the small stack compared to his 1980. At this point you will then post 200 more and will yourself be the target for the other players. Putting yourself into this situation 2/3 of the time might not be wise.

So, the question becomes - Are your odds of making the money (and winning) better by calling his bet now, or by waiting and almost doubling him up without a fight. Can you afford to surrender 400 chips to this guy and even if you manage to get him all-in as a 2-1 favorite youself on the very next hand, does that outweigh your chances of busting him now combined with still being able comeback after that if you lose.

Me... I'm calling, but it's not as clear cut as I thought at first.

The reason I call is that I think your main goal should still be winning. I think that folding here will still get you into the money more often but it's going to make anything better than third difficult. If you call, you are risking a bubble finish for sure, but a win puts you on par with the other two stacks and going into the final three with a good stack is how you win tourneys.

Even now as I post this I am hesitant. Calling raises on the bubble with hands like J6s is never a good idea, but folding a 400 BB with 490 more to call an all-in is never a good idea either.

Regards
Brad S

[JGalt]