1st Hand of the Final Table, Question

[MeanGreenTT]

This is a nightly Horse Track Card Room, 100 person, $45 NLHE tourney with 20 minute rounds starting at 10/15. Final 9 are paid. $1000, $550, $400, $320, $260, $220, $190, $150, $110.

We've just formed the Final Table and I'm in Seat 9, Button in on Seat 3. Blinds are at 500/1000 and I have T5500. I'm 7th in chips with the other short stacks on my immediate left and immediate right. HUGE stacks are to the side of each of them.

We've got 9 minutes left in the current round, we shuffle up and deal the 1st hand.

UTG folds and the big stack 2 to my right, raises to T6000. The short stack on my right, immediately calls for his last T4500. I've not played with either of these 2 players as they were at the other table of 5 prior to the consolidation.

I look down at AJo. Call all-in or Fold here, thanks.

[willie]

i think this is a fold.

you have no FE, and are probably better pushin with connected rags than calling this hand.

if you had a read that the big stack was SUPER lag, then it MAY be a call, but you are too easily dominated/destroyed here to make this a call i think.

[captainzodiac]

i like a fold here too,but it depends on what you think these 2 players gaps are,and how imporant the money levels are to you,i like to be the initiater of my all in,and not calling 2 others unless i have a dominating hand,i'd rather push later with a worse hand then aj,then call against 2 others all in,but having said that,if you're looking to win this tourney,it just might be your best opportunity,if you get lucky in this 3 way pot,you have new life and possibly can play many more hands from then on,being this short stacked,you have to committ to any hand you decide to play.

[Bob T.]

You wouldn't coldcall in a limit game with this, so I think it is an easy fold. Wait for a better opportunity.

[MeanGreenTT]

Thanks for the replies guys, appreciate it.

CaptainZodiac...I agree with everything and really took my time before making my decision here. I had no reads on the guys whatsoever and did condsider the gap and the all-in call and took the decision from there....deciding to fold.

I ended up folding the best starting hand and the winner...short stack doubled up when he sucked out on the River....AT v A8. A Jack had spiked on the Flop.

The saving grace was that I went on to finish 3rd, ahead of both of those players [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[captainzodiac]

great finish,we all want to win,but 3rd is where the real money usually starts,excellent!