Slow/steady or All/nothing

[Toro]

I think I did the right thing but when I lose I always second guess myself and my refuge to make sure my mind is right is 2+2.

PokerStars $11 + rebuys, 742 entries, 63 money places, $4157 for 1st.

I did well in the rebuy period and had 11,200 chips but it went downhill after that and I got chipped away, hand after hand down to a low of 630. Somehow slowly and steadily I rebuilt back up to 13,760 and was feeling very good about myself.

Problem though, that was not a good chip stack anymore because the blinds are 400/800. I'm UTG3 and raise to 2400 with JJ. Villian in the cutoff has 12,145 and re-raises all-in and it's folded to me.

I'm very sure he's got AK as this has more or less become the standard play for AK in these situations. So I hate the call because I'm almost sure we're racing but I make it. He flips over AQ and gets a Q on the turn and I'm crippled and out a few hands later. If I had won the hand I would have had 26,455 and been in very good shape.

Was I right to go all or nothing here with the JJ or should I have laid it down and left myself with 11,360?

Secondary question: My standard raise at this point is 3X the BB but maybe if I go 4X, can I discourage an AQ from coming over the top here, don't know?

JJ is one of those hands I like to race with, although I'd much rather prefer to be the one who pushes than to be the one who has to call an all in.


Without doing the math, I think I would call also.

I doubt that anything would cause this guy from coming over the top IMO, I think a bigger raise would just make the decision to call his push a little easier IMO.

[Shorty35]

Without any read, I call usually expecting to see AK (maybe AQ), sometimes QQ or a pair 88 to JJ. I think a stack of villan's size usually will flat call or make a smaller reraise to induce action if he has KK or AA (which is why I push these too). Obviously, you are well ahead of this range.

At this stage of the tourney, it's tough to fold JJ - all the stacks of your size are looking to double up and you are going to be ahead most of the time. In fact, I bet you'll see suited connectors or even Axs a fair amount of the time. If you have been "active" (as i suspect you have given your stack rebuilding exercise), then the call is even easier b/c they'll be looking to play back at you.

You're probably doubting the call because you scraped and clawed to get yourself back into contention "only" to lose a coin flip when it mattered. I look at it this way: the hard work put you in a position to get a decent amount of chips in as a favorite at a time when it puts you in a position to make a deep run. And deep runs are all that matter...

[Blindcurve]

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Was I right to go all or nothing here with the JJ or should I have laid it down and left myself with 11,360?

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I really think either play is fine. I assume you rebuilt your stack by judicious stealing and a couple good hands-if that's the case, I, personally, don't have a problem with not taking a race here.

The above notwithstanding, you probably shouldn't fold, absent reads. You can't allow 99 to own you here. Probably shouldn't allow AQ to push you off either, but since you "know" you're in a race, it's really your choice whether you decide to take it. Sometimes a judicious fold generates more confidence and a resolution to take advantage of better spots later.

Again, you shouldn't fold. And if you do, for the love of all that's holy, don't tell anyone.

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Secondary question: My standard raise at this point is 3X the BB but maybe if I go 4X, can I discourage an AQ from coming over the top here, don't know?

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Maybe. Do you want to discourage action? The other thing is, maybe 4x looks weak, as if you don't really want to play a flop, so AQ comes over the top anyway.

All things considered, I think you played the hand fine, and got unlucky.

-D.

All or nothing baby. Yes you'll get knocked out quicker, but you'll also give yourself the opportunity to place higher.. in mtt's, if you don't reach like the top 5 (or at least FT), the payouts aren't much, so might as well go for it..

[EverettKings]

I don't think you can afford to fold there, especially if youre sure he has AK. Yeah you're racing whatever but the pot odds are so good and you need chips so badly that this is a race you have to take. I mean if you fold you have what, 10k? And if you win you have almost 30k? I don't see how this isn't an instacall. Even if he can have 99-AA there as well.

Everett

[EverettKings]

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Secondary question: My standard raise at this point is 3X the BB but maybe if I go 4X, can I discourage an AQ from coming over the top here, don't know?

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I might go to just under 3x (2k-2200) to encourage action from underpairs and AQ (maybe even AJ/KQ).

[grandgnu]

With blinds that high, I usually go with a 2.5x the BB raise. That usually folds out most competition, and keeps the pot manageable with a vulnerable holding.

With his push, I figure it's possible he's on a pocket pair and puts us on a high Ace, and figures he can coin-flip with a hand like 9/9. So it's possible we're ahead.

If he's on A/high card then we're still ahead, although vulnerable. I think the call is right, since you're only in very bad shape against Q/Q-A/A and it's more likely he has one of the other holdings.

And like they said, you're trying to win the big first place prize, screw just making the money. It's chip accumulation time, you got him in beat and he sucked out. Too bad he didn't have the A/K that time.

[Toro]

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Too bad he didn't have the A/K that time.

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LOL. He also rivered an Ace.

[grandgnu]

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Too bad he didn't have the A/K that time.

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LOL. He also rivered an Ace.

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Rigged!