This fold been bugging me
 

Live $70+15 (w/ another $5 for 300 chips added on before play starts) at TS. 189 entrants. First pays about $3.5k and 9th-16th all pay $198. We are on the bubble and I am sitting with a below average stack of 14k in the SB and blinds 2k/4k. BB has me covered.

Big stack who just moved to the table open min-raises from the button to 8k. I look down at AQo and decide to fold, leaving myself with 12k left. My reasoning was that the bigstack was surely going to call the 6k more for my all in, and in all likelyhood it would be a race, with my tourney life on the line, not to mention the BB left to act behind me. Was this fold giving up to much, considering the payout structure was a bit on the heavy side for the final table?

Re: This fold been bugging me
 

Hate that fold. I would be thrilled to see AQ in your position.

Re: This fold been bugging me
 

Ugh, that's a really bad fold. The big stack open min-raised from the button? Hah. That means little and less. Put your chips in because you've got the best hand. I really couldn't care less about whether he calls or folds.

Re: This fold been bugging me
 

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Hate that fold. I would be thrilled to see AQ in your position.

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Re: This fold been bugging me
 

It seems like you just want to get your buyin back. Not to be really critical but I do know advice like this, and I had that mentality when I first started out. You will be nothing more than a second rate player if you miss out on opportunites like this. You HAVE to push and win this race.

Re: This fold been bugging me
 

Not sure what you are waiting for, but this seems like a good spot to ship it 100% of the time given the circumstances.

Re: This fold been bugging me
 

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Hate that fold. I would be thrilled to see AQ in your position.

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Re: This fold been bugging me
 

Pretty much the responses I expected. Knew I pussied out during the hand. I think the fact that it was only my second casino tournament, that I wanted to at least say that I walked away with something. There were about four other people with shorter stacks than me at the time, but that still doesn't excuse my action. I regret the decision now, and although I made the money, I should really have taken the gamble and shot for the final table.

Edited to add: What is the BEST hand you would fold in this position? May as well take something out of the experience...

Re: This fold been bugging me
 

I'm probably pushing A9+, middle PP's, maybe KQ and KJ.

Re: This fold been bugging me
 

I might even stick in with a suited connector to have some live cards in this case (7-8,8-9,9-10 suited). You are getting that short. I'm cutting it off with A-9.