Don't mind losing this hand?

Does the prize structure dictate your play here?
This is a PP STT Step where only 1st gets you to the next level and 2nd through 5th get another freeroll into the current level.

Villian has been playing solid with nothing out of line.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (5 handed) converter

SB (t1480)
BB (t1635)
UTG (t1385)
Hero (t1465)
Button (t2035)

Preflop: Hero is MP with J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t300</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises to t500</font>, Hero calls t200.

Flop: (t1050) 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets t475</font>, Hero...

I felt like my call PF was automatic--is that thinking flawed? But my decision on the flop is fold and have &lt;t1000 or push either doubling up and having fantastic position or losing and try again later.

gl,
Mike.

[mosdef]

ugh, that didn't go as planned, did it?

i think you've got to drop that preflop. if you call, you've got a pot of size 1000 and only 900+ in your stack, so you are pot committed to call just about anything on the flop. and you can't push preflop because you've got no fold equity against that tiny raise.

i say drop it and hope to better push/folding after that. you could push preflop because there's enough dead money in the pot to make your JTs hold up okay against his range.

ugg is exactly what I said. And I think I would have folded after the reraise PF in a normal STT. But I'm wondering if the prize structure makes you think differently about the way you continue with this hand.

Thoughts on that angle?

gl,
Mike.

[mosdef]

[ QUOTE ]
But I'm wondering if the prize structure makes you think differently about the way you continue with this hand.

Thoughts on that angle?


[/ QUOTE ]

no diff to me. i a "normal" 5-3-2 SNG, if the stacks are that even with 5 left i'm basically looking for ways to get to first place. that preflop call isn't one of them, imo.

Was this a stupid question or something? I was hoping this would elicit a little more discussion from some experienced players about the strategy differences (if there are any) in these games due to the prize structure.

In particular this hand where I think it is an easy fold under normal STT circumstances but had a different thought process because of the prize structure.

Do any of you change your style or strategy in these step tournies and are there varying degrees of WHEN to change? Or do you not change at all here?

gl,
Mike.

[Nicholasp27]

you would want to play to maximize your chances of first if 2-5 were the same prize and it was top 5...one thing you can do is use ICM, changing the prize structure to 1/0/0 and see how that affects things...

[mosdef]

part of the problem is that many people don't play the steps (including me).

also, many people here play the bubble very aggressively to basically maximize the chances of finishing first since that is closer to the optimal strategy than folding towards 3rd or 4th, so among those who play the steps many wouldn't be looking to change their approach dramatically.

[ QUOTE ]
also, many people here play the bubble very aggressively to basically maximize the chances of finishing first since that is closer to the optimal strategy than folding towards 3rd or 4th,

[/ QUOTE ]

I understand this and wonder where the "bubble" is in these games. Is it at 6th place or is it at 2nd place? I'm beginning to think that it might be alot like the situation in a Multi-Table Tourny where most everyone on the bubble is trying to sneak into the money and then as soon as that point comes, you see everyone drop like flies for a period until the next bubble.

In this hand I think my PF call was a mistake, but after that, I push the OESD (&amp; backdoor flush...I'm assuming my overs are no good unless it's running) to try and put myself in a sizeable chip lead for the win....or lose and "don't mind losing" since I'm ITM anyway with a long uphill climb to the next level.

[ QUOTE ]
part of the problem is that many people don't play the steps (including me).


[/ QUOTE ]

Why don't people like these steps? I would imagine that if the good players aren't playing these, there is a monetary or EV reason for not playing them. In my very short experience with them, they seem like a good way to "practice for cheap." i.e. being eliminated in fifth (in step 1) gives you a freeroll oportunity...and steps 2 and 3 even lower spots keep you in the game without having to rebuy.