6 left, 5 make money Was this the right play?

[Vee Quiva]

3 table sit and go at Party Poker $30+$3. Top 5 place there are 6 players left.

200-400 blinds. 3 players have approximately 2,000 left. I am at 3500. My opponet has 3700. The chip leader is way ahead at approx 16,000.

I am dealt KQ offsuit on the big blind. It's folded to the button who bets 800 (double the big blind). For the most part people have been in all in mode when making raises. The button has been all in a few times. For some reason this feels like a weak raise and possible steal. I have been folding my blinds a lot and have a pretty tight image. I am not interested in 5th place money, I want to win. I am willing to take a race situation to double up. The raise doesn't smell like AA, KK, or QQ so I decide to raise all in, which basically puts my opponent almost all in (he'll have 200 left)

Does this seem like a good move?

The button takes his full time allowed and then calls with 22. I get no help and I am out on the bubble. How horrible was the call by my opponent?!

[MyssGuy]

I personally don't like this play. First, it feels like a trap to me. Second, KQ is not a strong hand in NL (overrated may be better). If I were to play the hand, I would probably flat call and lead out on a flop without an Ace. The raise feels like a Ax to me and without an Ace on the flop, you may be able to take it down.

The all-in raise you made is only good if you can get this guy to fold. You do not dominate many hands and are behind a PP or Ax. If he calls, you can pretty much bank on being behind. I don't want to put all my chips in on this hand, when I'm 3/6 and 5 pay.

[Pat Southern]

With the flat payout structure of these tournaments, I fold this.

[Synth]

[ QUOTE ]
With the flat payout structure of these tournaments, I fold this.

[/ QUOTE ]

Even thought this above quote is very true, I don't hate your all-in here.

[ QUOTE ]
The raise feels like a Ax to me

[/ QUOTE ]

The Button open raised, he could have many hands which KQ is either in a coin flip situation or dominates and not necessarily a hand like Ax which he doesn't.

If your goal was to make the money I would say fold, and even if you had folded, I wouldn't condemn it. But your goal was to win and i think because of the situation your all-in was fine.

Good luck in the future

[docknet]

The only time I call an allin with KQ is when the other guy is shortstacked and losing the chips won't hurt too much. If somebody raises before me, I usually toss it, depending on position.

What really gets me are the huge bets and allins I see with KJ.

[Potowame]

This has more to do with a read on this player, than what two cards you are holding.

You should have had some idea by this time what this guy was doing, ie Raise, fold to all-in / Raise, call all-in with any raise hand / Raise, fold all but AA-JJ AK to all-in.

If you didnt think about this before you made your move, I think it was bad to push all-in over the top with out having some idea what hands this player was going to fold. Even if he raised 2xbb with AX(crap) , but will not fold it to a all-in, this play is not so good.

I do feel that his call was pretty bad, but to push all-in over the top a player that will make this call with 22 is not so good either.