On the Bubble w/AA

[Augie]

Just curious if anyone plays this differently. I know I broke all the rules when playing 'on the bubble', but I don't think I would change my play here - feel free to convince me otherwise.

There are 28 players left in this Pot Limit Holdem tourney on Stars(27 get paid). The table is playing very tight. The blinds are at 300-600, no antes. I have 13720, chip leader at my table and, I believe, have a tight image. The only hand I have played in the last 30 minutes was 2 hands ago, QQ, which I played very passively, just calling a preflop raise, and then checking until the river, where I made a small bet that was paid off (so the QQ was shown). BTW, the QQ hand and the AA hand are v. the same player.

I get AhAd in early position and make it 1800 to go. Everyone folds to my opponent (10778 chips), who raises another 1200 out of the small blind. The BB folds, and I contemplate a call, to see what the flop brings, and then go from there, like the QQ hand. But I figure my image, the fact that we are on the bubble (he will fold just about everything but AA or KK here, or so I think), and the fact that I will still have 3000 or so in chips if I lose, well, I raise the maximum to 9600, almost putting my opponent all-in.

He, of course, calls, and I put him all in for his remaining 1178 in chips on a flop of Qd 9c 2c. He shows AcKd and gets two running clubs to make his flush. I bust out 23rd and win a booby prize.

I don't play too many multitable tournies, so perhaps I need some coaching here. He probably would have folded to a decent bet on that flop if I had kept the pot smaller preflop, but then again, I thought he would fold to the big bet preflop. Basically, I thought my play was screaming AA, and that he would understand my language, so to speak, and fold.

Please enlighten me, I want to improve.

[fnurt]

Haha, I had this whole post typed out assuming it was a supersatellite. Never mind that. You played it just fine.

Thinking that maybe you should have saved enough to drive him out on the flop is the wrong approach. With AA, you KNOW you have the best hand before the flop. After the flop, who knows? Get all the money in when you KNOW you have the best of it.

In a tournament like this one, busting out on the bubble sounds worse than it is. On Stars, 27th place probably would have netted you a very minimal profit, so why worry about it? The real money is at the final table, and really it's in the top 3, so you need to go for it when you have the best hand in poker.

You were a huge favorite before the flop here. The 15 times out of 16 that you win the AA vs AK confrontation, you'd never question your play here. You shouldn't question it the 16th time either.

[Tosh]

Why do you want him to fold ?

[fnord_too]

Nothing wrong with your play, he was foolish to go to war with the table chip leader with a drawing hand. Calling your (effectively) all in pre flop raise with AK is just awful.

Just a quick note on bubble strategy, you want to be aggressive at this phase of the tourney if you are a big stack. Most people are playing really tight trying to sneak into the money, and you can steal a lot of blinds and small pots, just be prepared to back off if you encounter resistance (and don't have the goods.)

[danish69]

You played it perfect getting all the money in preflop with the best hand. He just got lucky. AA is the strongest hand, but still only wins around 75% of the time headsup.

When you hold this strong a hand you´r goal is to double through, and get position to reach the final table and win the tournament. So don´t mind that its bubble time. Thats small money compared to getting to the final table.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

The table is playing very tight.
and
The only hand I have played in the last 30 minutes was 2 hands ago

Near the bubble with a big atck, with the rest of the table playing bubble-scared, you probably should be pounding the shorter stacks (but not the shortest stack) relentlessly.

[whiskeytown]

everyone said it best, Augie....

multi way - with 4 other players and some big stacks all in, I MIGHT dump it - but heads up - I'd be all in after that raise so fast his head would spin.

I've also gone all in with AA the first hand of a tourney...LOL - if AA can get all in preflop, heads up, you're golden most of the time...don't sweat the bad beat when it comes -

now, if the dickhead then mouths off to the table how he outplayed you, ream him mercilessly and continue doing so till he busts out short of the money....LOL

RB

[Augie]

Thanks for all the comments.

It never even occured to me that I should be picking on the smaller stacks at that point in the tourney. I was thinking to myself that I would wait for 1 other person to bust out, and then get aggressive v. stacks that couldn't hurt me too much.

When I do play multi-tournies, I usually find myself with an average or medium stack at that point of the tourney. I guess I'm not used to playing a big stack. I'll rethink my strategy for the next time I have a lot of chips.

Thanks all.