Did I play this wrong?

[esbesb]

Did I play this wrong?

Small live tournament. Only six players left.

Top five places pay, approx. $75, $100, $160, $250, $400.

Me and the guy to my left are tied for chip lead. The blinds are huge, so that even though I am one of the chip leaders, the blinds still take it out of me. Probably at least 1-3 players will drop by the next orbit because they are short stacked.

Folded to me in small blind. The guy to my left (the other chip leader) is, of course, in the big blind.

I look down and have KQo. To raise even the minimum puts me all in because the blinds are so large in relation to the stacks. I figure I could easily outlast 1-3 other players for another orbit by folding, but I hate to give up my small blind with KQ and I figure a raise will likely force the BB to fold since he is probably thinking the same thing as me -- survive and let the others drop.

Thinking that winning his BB and my SB will give me the chip lead and a decent shot for first, and that I am probably ahead anyway, I raise. This puts me exactly all in (would have been better if I had one chip left). He calls with K7o (I guess he thought I was on a pure steal, but I was still surprised by the call.) Of course he hits a 7 on the turn to bust me (otherwise I wouldn't be writing this.)

How many people fold the SB and just try to outlast the other short stacks? Was I too greedy here? Anyone else make the same play I did and try to get in a position to win it all? Anyone just call?

Thanks for your input!

[Pat Southern]

"To raise even the minimum puts me all in because the blinds are so large in relation to the stacks."

Why does the big stack only have 2 big blinds? Getting 1st is going to be a crapshoot if everyone is almost all in every blind, so I'd go to war against a random hand with KQ.

[Colby818]

I'm a big fan of trying to eek out a few spots in the money. BUT, I think if you've got a legitamate chance of doubling up and thus getting a shot to move up several spots or into the win is always worth a shot. If I'm down to 2 orbits of blinds or less, I'm looking for a hand just like this to take a shot at it. Figure you're one orbit away from being forced to take a shot at A-x and pray for a second ace. You also had the added advantage of other people being on this same decision. As long as you were already in the money, this is definitely a hand I'd push all in. Were you on the bubble, I might begrudgingly fold this.

Colby

[jwvdcw]

I echo the thought that something is seriously wrong with your tourney structure if the blinds are that large at the end.

You played it perfectly. Even if he ended up having a better hand than you, I still like the move because, as you said, you figure that last thing he wants is to go all in here when he could sit back and gain spots in the tourney in the next orbit. Its a terrible terrible call on his part.