Getting desperate...JJ in BB behind a raise

[davidross]

NL WSOP qualifier, 15 seats available. Been a weird tournament for me, We're at the 6th level, blinds are 50/100 and I have already played 8 significant hands, winning 4 and losing 4. I keep losing to sets with top pair top kicker, then doubling up a few hands later. Now I'm in the BB and after posting have 780 left. UTG makes it 200 to go and it's folded to me. He has around 2,000 chips.

Here's my thought process.. I'm not quite desperate, but I'm close. I've played a lot of these tournaments lately and this is the time I need to get some chips. Already an all in from me will not make much of a dent in the big stacks, so stealing is getting tough.
I don't like his small raise, I am concerned about an overpair. If I just call though I'm out of position and it will be a tough hand to get away from anyway, and if he's got overcards or a smaller pair, I don't want to give him a chance to get away.

So I pushed and he had QQ. Them's the breaks. Comments?

[slogger]

I'm no expert, but you really don't seem to have any choice here. It's raise or fold time and to fold a painted pocket pair (given your stack size) has to be a mistake.

Even if your stack was slightly larger (900-1100) I think it would be very difficult to fold this hand in this spot.

Tough luck! /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[slogger]

I'm no expert, but you really don't seem to have any choice here. It's raise or fold time and to fold a painted pocket pair (given your stack size) has to be a mistake.

Even if your stack was slightly larger (900-1100) I think it would be very difficult to fold this hand in this spot.

Tough luck! /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[cferejohn]

I think "them's the breaks" sums it up pretty well. I consider anything less than 9-10x the BB 'desperate' in the sense that I'm definitely going all in with any group 1 hand. I think this is an easy all-in and I don't think it is close. There are plenty of worse hands that players would play like this.

If you had a smaller pair, i might have considered a stop-n-go (call and push all in on any flop). That can get better hands to fold sometimes (like a better pair if lots of overcards come). With JJ though I feel like I have the best hand, and I don't *want* someone to fold after the flop.

[SossMan]

I considered a stop n go as a different line here than the obvious all in, but, for the reasons you state, I think an all in w/ an indifference about a call is appropriate.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

If you had made any decision other than all-in here, I would've been seriously disappointed in you. You would have to know this player, and know that his mini-raises almost always mean big pairs, before any other play is even worthy of consideration.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[wrongpond]

I have a tendency to react the same in similar situations, let me know if it works for you. To date I've had no sucess with it, and seem to see other players get down to felt and then go on to win 4 pots in a row, I feel like it's probably the move to make but it sure is frustrating.

[Tosh]

Good play, bad luck.