Atrocious bubble play
 

Wow, I now know the worst feeling in poker, finishing on the bubble. With very poor bubble play I did it twice in a row. I then followed it up with 3rd 3rd places. My short handed play is horrible and I am worried that I can't be a winning player if it is this bad. Both of the times going in with large to medium chips stacks. Can you tell me if these playes were right? Also what do I do when the button tries and steal my blind every single time?!! I swear I was so confused. Anyway here are a few situations. What should I do or what should I have done?

1. PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (4 handed) converter

BB (t670)
UTG (t2930)
Button (t5540)
Hero (t4360)

should I have pushed the BB all in here?! WTF

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 5. [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
3 folds.

Final Pot: t225


2. PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (4 handed) converter

SB (t3080)
BB (t2040)
UTG (t6345)
Hero (t2035)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q. [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]
1 fold, Hero raises to t2010, SB calls t1910, 1 fold.

Flop: (t3995) J, [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q, [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img](2 players)

Turn: (t3995) 6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)

River: (t3995) 8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)

Final Pot: t3995

Got called with J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]pf here, is this what I should have done?

3. PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (3 handed) converter

Hero (t2125)
SB (t4780)
BB (t6595)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
Hero calls t200, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t600) T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets t400, SB folds, BB raises to t800, Hero raises to t1925, BB calls t1125.

Turn: (t4450) 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)

River: (t4450) 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img](2 players)

Final Pot: t4450

Help is needed, but I know you guys are there.

Thanks alot,
Al

Re: Atrocious bubble play
 

Hand 1: Hero has K5o and folds in SB. "should I have pushed the BB all in here?!"

Yes. K5o is a 55% winner heads-up against a random hand. You're getting 1.5:1 odds on a push even if you do get called, and BB will fold here reasonably often. This is an EASY push.

Hand 2: Hero is Button with AQo.
1 fold, Hero raises to t2010....

Your chip stack is deep enough that I'd do a smaller raise, bringing it up to t400-t600. Of course, if he pushes all-in you've got to call, and if he pushes all-in on this flop, you would have to call that one, too. You were doomed to bust out on this hand. Don't sweat it -- nobody has an ITM of 100%.

Hand 3: Hero is Button with JTo.
Hero calls t200....

I'd probably raise this to t400-t600 preflop, depending on what was getting people to fold. On the flop, I'm betting big -- at least pot-sized. If that works out to be 1/3 of my stack or more, I'm pushing this flop.

Re: Atrocious bubble play
 

1) Yes, raise him all in, he has 2 random cards and your 2 fare well against that range.

2)Yes, you push AQ and alot more in this spot.

3)Id raise pf, play it from there.

Re: Atrocious bubble play
 

1. Should've pushed.
2. Good push.
3. Tough question. Arguments can be made for raising, folding, and limping pf. I think I would've played it the same way you did, but I might've folded to the flop minraise if I thought BB was a solid player.

Playing short handed is harder than hell. Keep posting here and reading and you'll improve. At least that's what I'm told. Some posting advice: don't post the hand results (like you did in hand 2) because it skews responses. Also, post the buy-in in the subject line. GL!

Re: Atrocious bubble play
 

Hmmm...looks a lot like this thread, but the suits have changed.

5$ (Atrocious bubble play, help needed)