Need help not losing my chips when I have a big stack

[Blindcurve]

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Using a big stack effectively means attacking where you sense weakness, not widening your raising and calling standards and willingness to put people all-in with mediocre holdings.

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Just to reiterate. This is a very common misplay- not necessarily the pre-flop call, but the inappropriate widening of calling/playing req's. I just made a similar mistake [ QUOTE ]
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (9 handed) converter

UTG (t1206)
UTG+1 (t1400)
MP1 (t1580)
MP2 (t10010)
MP3 (t4650)
CO (t5580)
Button (t2444)
Hero (t5530)
BB (t9216)

Preflop: Hero is SB with J, K.
UTG calls t200, 1 fold, MP1 calls t200, 4 folds, Hero raises to t800, 1 fold, UTG raises to t1206, MP1 raises to t1580, Hero calls t780.

Flop: (t4566) T, 2, J (3 players)

Turn: (t4566) A (3 players)

River: (t4566) Q (3 players)

Final Pot: t4566


[/ QUOTE ] raising a limped short stack with a mediocre holding with zero fold equity. I ended up taking a race against two short stacks and put my above average stack in unnecessary jeopardy, just because I thought I had enough "extra chips" to afford a race and thought they might fold. Silly, really.

I also agree with the Chief when he says raise or fold. We really want to be putting our laggy friend to a decision for all of his chips, eventually. Calling doesn't give us any leverage. And I'm not sure this is the spot.

[nath]

Yeah, I pulled something similar in the UB 125k a couple weeks ago (although I did eventually get it in with the best hand). Cost me my big stack and probably a run at the final table (I busted 37th).
You still have to respect strength, because people KNOW they can double through you on their strong hands.

The major power of the big stack is being able to put your opponents to difficult decisions with relative impunity.
In OP's hand he didn't put any pressure on the other guy until he had already flopped a set, at which point there is no difficult decision.

[unglee]

Like others have said, this is a pretty bad limp. This is a clear raise or fold situation.

Consider if you had reraised preflop, representing a major hand. Would small blind still push with A5 into a raise and reraise? Maybe, but it's a bad decision. If he does, there is no way that the EP raiser stays in with 33 with you left to act, and you take down the pot (in this specific scenario).

Now let's say the SB is smart and folds to the raise and reraise. Will the EP raiser call your reraise with 33? Maybe, but again, probably not, it would be a pretty awful call on his part.

The real reason to raise preflop here is to get the EP raiser to fold, as would be the likely outcome in this specific case. Raising also carries with it the added benefit of giving you more information should he decide to call. Showing a lot of strength preflop makes it easier for you to get away from marginal hands like top pair, weak kicker post flop, because if the EP raiser demonstrates a willingness to go all the way with you after the flop despite the fact that you have represented AA-JJ, AK-AJ, you can more safely put him on a major hand. True, there are times when he has nothing more than a draw, but at least you have more information for which to make your final decision.

The best decision, however, as others have said, would be to fold preflop. You have a nice stack with a lot of time left to play, which gives you two luxuries: you are able to be more selective about the hands you play, and when you play speculative hands, you are able to be more aggressive with them (i.e. always raising instead of calling).