Interesting 3-player SnG situation

[UMTerp]

This happened to me on Pokerstars last night in a $215 SnG:

Me (Button): 5800 Chips
SB: 1700 Chips
BB: 6000 Chips

Blinds 100-200 w/ 25 ante

1st Place: $900, 2nd: $540, 3rd: $360

I pick up QQ on the button and raise to T600. Small stack pushes all-in for T1700, and Big blinds min-raises to T2800.

What's my play?

[citanul]

without getting too specific i think this is a very easy call

more specific

while the difference between first and second place money is big you are unlikely i believe to be likely to be this large of a favorite at any point in the near future

the second pusher is probably correct to push with many hands, including any medium ace and up and the first pusher is likely correct to push with many many things. the blinds aren't huge yet, but it seems like the right play here to call every time.

against 2 random hands you're a huge huge favorite, against 2 good hands, you're a decent favorite, especially if they have overlapping cards.

just my opinion though, and i'm just figuring out these 10+1s

citanul

[TylerD]

A raise, and a min re-raise, smells fishy to me. I would let the BB take out the shortstack with his Aces/Kings and cruise into second place with a very healthy stack and plenty of play left.

Of course the BB could have JJ or AK, but I wouldn't risk 2nd place tangling with the other big stack when the shortstack is already in and the BB probably has a very strong hand.

Usual disclaimer: I don't play the $200 usually stick to the $27 sngs.....

[La Brujita]

Without knowing the other player I am reraising all in. Thoughts:

1. SS has to beat both your hands for you to wind up third. That is pretty unlikely with you holding QQ and large stack presumably holding a decent to monster hand.

2. QQ is an absolute monster three handed. That being said do you think BB is almost certainly holding aa or kk? If so maybe you let it go. But could he also be getting tricky to make you think he has aces or kings to get your dead money in the pot? From his perspective your button raise means little, you could have anything to nothing.

3. Perhaps a flat call and a push if an A or K doesn't flop is a good play as well. I need to think about that. The reason I don't like it is you are committing too many of your chips. I say fold if you think the weighted chances are you don't have the best of it and push if you think the chances are you do.

I guess my point is absent a specific read on a player on the internet I am very rarely if ever laying down QQ three handed. Your 600 in the pot is giving you leverage to play and the two blinds could well be holding some of each other's cards if they are holding AK etc.

Regards

[Prickly Pete]

Reraise allin. QQ is way too good to fold here and the shortstack is already in, so you have to lose to both hands with QQ to finish 3rd on this hand. Not very likely.

[Jason Strasser]

This, to me, is an instant reraise all in. I think of it like this:

1) You lose to both hands, you finish third. (unlikely)
2) You beat the small stack, lose to the large stack, and finish second. (somewhat likely)
3) You win. (probable)

Go for broke. If he has AA or KK, you can still suckout, but just tip your hat and take second place. I play this hand like I would heads up. And I get my money in with QQ every time. Folding in my opinion is horrible. Calling preflop is also horrible.

[UMTerp]

I did what most of you suggested. I figured as long as I don't end up third here, it's not the end of the world, regardless of who I beat, and I reraised all-in. The only way I'm in real bad shape is if I'm up against AA and KK, and that's pretty unlikely.

Small Blind had KQo, Big Blind had AA, the board came no help to any of us, and I finished second.

I thought about flat calling the big blind, and pushing if no A or K came on the flop, but I decided I didn't like that option either, in case SB held AX and BB had 99-JJ or something along those lines.

I guess I'd do the same thing if the situation presented itself again. After the fact though, I couldn't help but think I was one K away from finishing third, and that kinda scared me...

Second ain't terrible I guess...

[La Brujita]

[ QUOTE ]
After the fact though, I couldn't help but think I was one K away from finishing third, and that kinda scared me...

[/ QUOTE ]

Just a minor correction. SS needed two kings to beat AA, if he didn't you were good for second. Looks like you made a good read and were put to a tough decision. Like Jason said, sometimes you just have to tip your cap to a better hand.

Regards

[Bozeman]

Since you are in for so little, it is quite possible to have a good enough read on BB to fold here (If he would not do this with AQ). Because the raise was minimum, it is easier to make this read than say an allin raise. That said, against a typical player I think you need to push, expecting to be called.

Craig

[UMTerp]

You're right. I'm not sure why that didn't occur to me at all.

Guess I should learn to read the board before I go playing anymore $215 Sng's... [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]