Double up and play for first or guarantee cash?

Supersetoy · #1 10-03-2005, 03:43 PM

Just one of the SNGs I played last night that has been bothering me. I don't have the converter (since I'm here at work) but the subject is what I was thinking. There's almost no way I'm getting 1st in this STT (with a stack of ~1200 and blinds of 150/300).

Here's the setup:

Button: 900
SB: 5500
BB: 400
Hero: 1200

All have been playing extremely tight, although the person in the SB went on the huge rush of cards and took out 5th and 6th places (Other large stacks) in 1 hand.

I know that in one more orbit more than likely the person in the BB will be gone (he will have 250 after the SB hits him and therefore less than the BB, thus a forced auto-call).

I'm dealt AQ off and decide to push. Unfortunately for me I get called by the big stack with 10 10 and he hits his set and I'm gone in 4th (probably to the delight of the other short stacks).

Am I wrong to make this push or not go for the (basically) guaranteed cash?

pokerlaw · #2 10-03-2005, 03:50 PM

This is a fairly commonly posted situation...not sure exactly how you would search for these types of hands, but there are a ton of them out there. I always fold in spots like this.

J-Lo · #3 10-03-2005, 05:10 PM

wow, a fold? this is guaranteeing you NOTHING. If the big stack is good, he'll trim u down even further. I push this, because u only have 4x BB... Not to "play for first" but to move yourself closer to the money.

nyc999 · #4 10-03-2005, 05:17 PM

[ QUOTE ]
There's almost no way I'm getting 1st in this STT (with a stack of ~1200 and blinds of 150/300).

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not good to think this way. You double up once and you have a very legitimate shot at 1st. I've come back from far worse situations to win (albeit not too often).

Slim Pickens · #5 10-03-2005, 05:19 PM

I think this is a push. I'm for sure pushing this every single time.

OK, to SNGPT... it's a push unless the big stack is calling any two, and I'm assuming the BB will call with any two here.

Xenod · #6 10-03-2005, 05:19 PM

I'd push this every time. The blinds are big enough compared to your stack that cashing is not necessarily a guarantee. If BB doubles and you go through the blinds, then you're about even. You have a great hand here for 4-handed play and you're shortstacked. It's unfortunate that he had TT, but if you win that race THEN, you have enough chips to be guaranteed cash, and maybe even a shot at first.