Party WSOP ($300 + $28) Question

[transmitt]

226 people start so 5 people get seats, I am bubble boy at 6 and think I may be physically ill as a result.

But to the question, which is more of a generic thought than this hand exactly in that I seem to get me in trouble a lot in this situation.

I am short stacked on the bubble in the BB. Button (healthy stacked) flat calls, SB (also healthy stacked) completes, I have K2o and ~5BB's remaining left behind and decide that no way that either folds based on their play and stacks with a push so I call.

Flop comes 6d 8d Ks, SB checks, I push, button calls, SB folds. Button has KTo and outkicks me. After my wife says "I think I would be crying right now if I were you" I get to thinking... I often get knocked out late in tournaments when I'm short stacked and see a top pair on the flop when I have a weak kicker.

Should I be folding out these hands, or pushing? If folding, what type of hands do you look to push with (for example hands that probably will be live, or good high card)?

Any thoughts appreciated,
JT

[StogeyMike]

Sorry to hear about the near miss. I can't imagine a tougher finish that that - I hope you bounce back and win a seat next time.

As far as the hand goes, I would have probably played it the same way. Checking your BB in spite of apparent weakness up front seems okay given your read that neither opponent would fold anyway. Pushing top pair post flop can't be criticized either - it was just unlucky that you happened to be dominated at the worst possible time.

Lick your wounds and good luck on your next attempt.

[transmitt]

Thanks Mike, like I said, I can think of a few times in the last month or two when I've been put out w/ dominated hands (a weak kicker, k weak kicker) in a blind short stacked, just wonder in that situation if a less-dominated hand is a good push pre-flop.

[coolhandj]

I have to say that when I first read this post, I would have made the same play on the flop, but after thinking about it, I had another idea.

Now if either player has a king with a better kicker or even if they have a good draw (the flush being the most obvious) they most likely are not going to fold when you push all in, since they have so many more chips than you.

if you check in this situation, you can gain some information, if button bets than you can consider folding, if he checks than you can be pretty confident that your king is good on the turn, as long as no ace, diamond, or straight comes.

now you may feel you don't want to give them a free card, but like i said, if they have a solid draw to beat you, there is a very good chance they will call you and see all five cards anyway, there is no way to protect your hand here when you have so few chips, they would have seen it either way, at least in this scenario you have more info as to weather your king is good.

with only two players left, your king is probably good (in this case it wasn't), so like i said, I think your play was good and i probably would have done the same, but I think this option is a good one too. what do you think?

[transmitt]

Cool, I actually like that line a lot. With a few blinds left after being SB next hand, I'm not stealing anything but maybe can find a better spot and double. The next smallest stack was on auto-fold, so I think I may have been pushing to get some chips. I'll try it next time, seems like a situation I fall into often

Thanks

[ZBTHorton]

With less than 5 BB's left..you don't need a line..and don't have time to find one.

Your pushing here. Everytime. No doubt. Don't even think otherwise.

[adanthar]

I don't know about him, but I check the flop 100% of the time.

It's not that I'm folding (unless button bets and SB calls, but that alone pays for the check); it's that I would rather A8/QQ bets big now and lets me call, rather than me possibly folding him out.