Re: SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)
 

If I'm the big stack I dont mind to keep the bubble in play...I do get pissed if I'm in your position though haha

Re: SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why would you want to win a $0 pot?

[/ QUOTE ]

It wasn't a $0 pot. It was a T2400 pot. If you can push the best hand out and still beat the small stack, it's obviously good. But if you can choose between giving the pot to the bubble or to the 3rd place, giving it to the bubble isn't a bad choice either.

This may very well be a +EV play, I believe.

Re: SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)
 

[ QUOTE ]
He forced out the best hand. That's what's fun about having the most chips.

Why would you want to win a $0 pot?

Lori

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you misunderstand. I want to win the T2400 when I don't have the best hand(probably when my Ace high is good too). And - I might spike my overcard, anyway. But in this situation, it worked out for me(since I'm speaking as the bully), because I've now got a good chance at that T2400 whereas before my raise I was behind.

Thanks, everyone!
 

I see my mistake now. I was assuming that the top stack had the same interest in getting rid of the bubble as I did - not so! I think I need to adjust my own ideas about how to approach the bubble when I'm the top stack. I usually try to use others in the pot to help me get rid of him, and don't push them off; I think those who suggested that bullying the short stacks is +EV make a very good point. I personally don't care who gets knocked out first (unless it's me, obviously!), but keeping short stacks around to steal their blinds is a nice option.

Thanks again,
Mike

Re: SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)
 

I'm not sure why no one has told you should've folded pre-flop. The shortstack is is all-in against the bigstack and you call with J4?? Then you get the flop you want and you fold!

What was the point of calling preflop if you weren't going to play that flop?

Re: SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure why no one has told you should've folded pre-flop. The shortstack is is all-in against the bigstack and you call with J4?? Then you get the flop you want and you fold!

What was the point of calling preflop if you weren't going to play that flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely a valid point. This is probably best folded PF.

And it is even more a fold if you are going to fold Top Pair on the flop. What more can you ask from J4o than top pair crappy kicker?

Re: SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure why no one has told you should've folded pre-flop. The shortstack is is all-in against the bigstack and you call with J4?? Then you get the flop you want and you fold!

What was the point of calling preflop if you weren't going to play that flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah. Well, yes, I should have. But when the button merely called the shortstack, I thought he was basically inviting anyone who thought they could to help him knock out the bubble. I figured if he didn't want company, he'd have raised. So, it goes back to my original error of thinking that the button and I had the same idea about the bubble. My attitude towards that situation has been that I want more people in the pot to increase the chances of knocking out the bubble. J4o is a crappy hand, but that late in the game, with the bubble likely feeling desperate about the blinds coming to eat his stack, I decided that it was worth a potshot with a high card/bad kicker. If I'd pegged the button's approach correctly in the first place, I'd have stayed out of it from the start; as it was, I was expecting him to play patty-cake with me so that one of us might knock the other guy out. Then when he raised, I thought he was telling me, "Go away, I can take him all by myself".

An example of the thinking of one who still has much to learn, I'm afraid. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Thanks,
Mike

Re: SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)
 

More importantly, even if you call, you can't let someone on the shortstack get money in with the best of it, which is why you don't make loose calls, even if you can afford it.

Re: SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)
 

[ QUOTE ]
More importantly, even if you call, you can't let someone on the shortstack get money in with the best of it, which is why you don't make loose calls, even if you can afford it.

[/ QUOTE ]

So the reality is, neither of us really should have called that all-in, right?

Thanks,
Mike

Re: SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)
 

[ QUOTE ]
If I've read this right, you could have called.

If the button is beating you, he's probably beating the all-in too, so you will finish third by virtue of having more chips at start of hand.

I understand your frustration, just giving you that play for future reference.

Lori

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. top pair 4 handed. pretty strong even with the weak kicker. and teh big stack can call with anything with all his chips.