Single Table WPT satalite @ Foxwoods (Act I)

[soxfan70]

Act I table at foxwoods, top 3 get free seat at Act II. Five people left, I'm the chip leader by about 30% over second place who is sitting one seat to my left. The other three are about equally stacked, about 70% behind me. I havent played a hand in about an orbit and a half, becuase there is no need for me to play, as I have atleast third place locked up. In the BB I have 5 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. UTg who happens to be in 2nd and also doesnt have to play, calls the BB of 400. everyone folds back to me, so I'm in. Flop comes Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif4 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif. UTG bets out 300, I call. I'm 90 % sure I should have mucked, but I've got an open ender, and the flush draw. Turn is 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, I hit my flush and now have a gut shot str8 flush draw. UTG bets out 300 more, I call. River is A /images/graemlins/spade.gif. UTG bets another 600, and I call again. UTg shows A /images/graemlins/diamond.gifJ /images/graemlins/diamond.gif! I know I should have mucked to the first bet, but once I called that one, I'm in to the showdown, unless I'm faced with an all-in. Thoughts?

[DoctorDrew]

Pretty passive play from chip leader. It doesn't appear that you even want to win this pot. You are just kind of hoping. 3 cold calls without any sign of a raise is definitely not the way I would have played this. You hit your flush, why are you just calling? Plus, you have absolutely no idea what he has because all you did is call his bet. In NLHE, the attitude needs to be raise or fold, not just calling.

[soxfan70]

Maybe you misunderstood, but I TOTALLY disagree. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place all win the same thing. All I need to do is come in third. There is no benefit to coming in first with 90% of the chips over being 3rd with one chip. Why would you risk a raise with a 5 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gifhand against someone who has as little reason to play as you do? I NEVER thought anyone would come back and say I was playing this too passively. I think there is NO QUESTION that I shoud have folded to the flop bet, considering who my opponent was. If it's one of the short stacks, and I can eliminate them, then yes, i raise and put them all-in. I dont think you're considering the opponent in this hand.

[fnurt]

I am with you, super-satellites sometimes present unique situations. I don't know how much of your stack these bets really represent though, nor do I know how close the short stacks are to being blinded out if you do nothing. If the money is deep, you will need a money-making situation sooner or later, and I certainly would have been tempted by this one too.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

The money is not deep at any time after the first level. Staring stacks are 1000, levels are 15 minutes and go 25/25, 25/50, 50/100, 100/200, 150/300, 200/400 etc.

[DoctorDrew]

I never said the right play was to raise. All I am trying to say is the WORST possible play here is to call. What exactly are you trying to accomplish by just calling when the flush hits?

I don't want to get to a showdown in NL unless I have the absolute nuts. It is a different style. You never even attempted to take control of this hand. I just disagree with approach. Sorry that's just me.