Did My Opponent Make The Mistake, Or Did I?

[grandgnu]

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We are currently at 33 players

My opponent has 3200 in chips, I have 2600. At other tables there are some shorter stacks that we can probably wait out. Blinds at 150/300

Opponent is UTG with A/J offsuit and limps in. I'm next to act and have 9/9 and push all-in.

Folded to the limper, who calls my push? He's certainly not pot-committed, and this close to the bubble, why should he risk becoming too short-stacked to make the money with a hand that is a coin flip AT BEST, and otherwise completely dominated?

The only hand my opponent has seen me play is an all-in push with 3/3 where I was very short-stacked, it was re-raised by another short-stack to isolate me with his A/10 and I flopped a set vs. him hitting his 10, and I went from 1300 chips to 3,000.

Anyway, I could have just squeeked into the money too, but I was playing to win, and figured this close to the bubble my opponents would fold.

I'm happy with his call, since I was ahead, but he spiked his ace and I was out, 3 measly spots from the money (I had just finished 2 spots from the money in a previous tourney, which kinda hurt)

Just making the money in this netted $40, while first place was $1,400.

So, should I have folded? Should I have limped with position on him? Or was my push correct and his call incorrect given our stack sizes and closeness to the money (and the liklihood that he's coin flipping or dominated?)

[RLilley]

Most times, you'll win this battle. I don't think you made an error here. At worst, you're a 4-1 dog if he has an overpair. But it didn't seem like he did when he limped. I personally believe he made the mistake as A3 is not better than a lot of hands.

[blockafor]

I like your play. Your opponent should not have called w/AJ.

[RLilley]

Wow, there is a speck of dirt on my monitor which made that appear as A3. I see now, that it is AJ.

I still think you made the right move here. Calling with AJ in hopes of a coin flip is a bit loose, but I don't think it's that horrible of a call. Although, most people should know better about AJ. :P

Time to clean monitor as well.

[grandgnu]

Thanks guys, I knew I was giving my opponents too much credit when I expected them to actually think and make smart plays this close to the money.

It's amazing the amount of min-raisers you find online. They'll min-raise with anything, from any position. Bunch of limpers, someone in the SB or BB, out of position will min-raise, it's hilarious. Then again, I've seen many a donk turn his 1K into 4K very early in these tournaments with their crazy play, and blow it all about twenty spots from the money. :P

[2planka]

You played it fine. Calling your push with AJ is indeed loose, but it happens frequently. Don't worry about that.

Good aggressive push on the bubble here. Well played.

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
You played it fine. Calling your push with AJ is indeed loose, but it happens frequently. Don't worry about that.

Good aggressive push on the bubble here. Well played.

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You know I'd NEVER make such a move against your dreaded 5/5 limp, I'd just fold outright. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Looking forward to the $100 game, you and me, heads-up, this time I take 1st place..... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[MegaBet]

I don't like your play at all. I'm always suspicious when a bigger stack limps in early position...and even more so UTG. You need a premium hand to push at this point. Maybe the guy thought he was slowplaying his AJ thinking that someone would inevitably raise and try to steal the blinds in this aggressive situation. There ARE players like that out there! I much prefer to be the first into the pot in bubble situations.

So what if you're slightly ahead in the hand? 46% of the time you get busted out of the money and 54% of the time you're very likely to make money. I'm sure that turns out to be -$EV if someone would like to confirm.

OK, your opponent made a mistake by calling your all in, but I very much doubt he's a 2+2er so you always have to keep that in mind.

[capone0]

I know his call was bad, but why risk a call with 99. You could have easily waited out to the money. As you've said earlier, you wanted to win. But getting into possible race situations usually isn't that great. Yes you were a slight favorite, yes the guy shouldn't have called, but did you really need to push, you could have avoided a race and moved into the money.

[A_PLUS]

[ QUOTE ]
I know his call was bad, but why risk a call with 99. You could have easily waited out to the money. As you've said earlier, you wanted to win. But getting into possible race situations usually isn't that great. Yes you were a slight favorite, yes the guy shouldn't have called, but did you really need to push, you could have avoided a race and moved into the money.

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[tears streaming silently down face]