Bubble hand that confused me.

[Ortho]

So, I've been playing microlimit MTTs for a few days now, and although I've gotten into the money in some enormous freerolls (finished 18th of like 4000 and 9th of 2500), I've yet to get into the money in an MTT that I've actually paid to enter, no matter how small the entry fee and this detail is troubling me.

So, today's tournament had the following situation. There are 34 people left out of 325, and money (don't ask how much, although the only "significant" money (like you wouldn't lose it in the couch) in the tournament goes to the top 3 places) goes to top 30. My stack has recently taken a hit and I'm at about 5,800 with 400/800 blinds. There are 12 minutes to go in the level. My stack is 28th-biggest of the 34 left and I can probably fold my way in, although there's really only sentimental glory at stake here. After being card-dead for a while, I've gotten a couple of hands. Four hands ago I folded AQs to the big stack's big (1/2 my stack) open-raise (okay?). Two hands ago I picked up KK in middle position and pushed all-in. Everyone folded and I won the blinds and a limper's money.

In general, play is alarmingly loose and passive, with lots of unraised multiway pots, though all-ins don't get called as often as they do at Party.

This hand I have AJs and am 4th to act after three big stacks in front of me fold. The stacks behind me are 30k, 5k, 25k, 15k(SB) and 8k (BB). In and STT I'd push all-in here and I'm wondering if that's the clear right move here, or if I should fold. I know that folding my way into the money is not the way to do well in these things, but it also is somehow important to me to clear this hurdle. My stack's not that big. I can probably fold my way in. But I guarantee my way in if I pick up the blinds, and if I double up I'm in some sort of shape to make a run at the next money increase (which occurs at 12th place).

Is a push here obvious? Any ideas appreciated.

[West]

Yes, I would push with AJs there with little thought.

One thing I would suggest you not begin to make a habit of is folding too many good hands on the bubble in MTTs. Unless you happen to be in a $10,000 event or something where you would consider making the money to be very significant for you, tightening up too much at bubble time will just cost you chips in the long run that will hurt your chances of big finishes, where the real money is.

In a freeroll type tournament, maybe it's easy to fold your way into the money with 4 to go out and a stack of 7x the BB, but it can take a while for 4 to go out of tournaments that cost a little something, and typically if you are able to fold to the money in your situation, I can guarantee you aren't going to have much left once you get there. AJs is too good to fold in your position, particularly considering your shorter stack. A normal 3x raise would consume over 40% of your stack, so if you're going to play you should simply go all in.

Bubbling out can be frustrating when you've played poker for several hours, but the risk is simply a part of tournament poker that you have to accept to become a good player. Try to disassociate merely cashing with "success" in MTTs. That's not to say you should take silly risks at bubble time, only that many give away too much to increase their chances of making the money.

(Also, it's likely you should have moved in with the AQs you had 4 hands before as well.)

[woodguy]

[ QUOTE ]
Four hands ago I folded AQs to the big stack's big (1/2 my stack) open-raise (okay?).

[/ QUOTE ]

Not ok.

You are well ahead of the range a big stack will open raise with, this is a good spot to get your chips in.

[ QUOTE ]
This hand I have AJs and am 4th to act after three big stacks in front of me fold. The stacks behind me are 30k, 5k, 25k, 15k(SB) and 8k (BB). In and STT I'd push all-in here and I'm wondering if that's the clear right move here, or if I should fold. I know that folding my way into the money is not the way to do well in these things, but it also is somehow important to me to clear this hurdle. My stack's not that big. I can probably fold my way in. But I guarantee my way in if I pick up the blinds, and if I double up I'm in some sort of shape to make a run at the next money increase (which occurs at 12th place).

Is a push here obvious? Any ideas appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are still at ~7BB's then yes you push here.

I like the AQ spot vs the big stack better.

Regards,
Woodguy

[Ortho]

Thanks for the responses.

I felt afterward that if I was going to play the AJs I should've played the AQs too, that it was inconsistent because my stack was in desperate shape at the time. It seems pretty clear from both your responses that this basic decision isn't anywhere near marginal, so it's a big adjustment I'll make from here.

I'm doing my best to avoid making any concession to get into the money, since I went through a longish period of hell in STTs where I was playing way too tight on the bubble and thinking it was bad luck. I definitely don't want that to happen in multis, but it's hard to watch the number of players tick ever downward and get dealt what I considered (wrongly) a marginal hand. Next time I'll play more courageously and push the AQs. But I do wish that I would get into the money soon. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]