SNG bubble strategy (slight vent)

[LinusKS]

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I see my mistake now. I was assuming that the top stack had the same interest in getting rid of the bubble as I did - not so! Mike

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Yes, exactly. And btw, while I think 600 is a little too much to pay, I think calling in this situation can be good. In the first place, sometimes big stacks do play ball. In the second, you very much want the short stack out. While it may not be in the big stack's interest to see him go, it is very much in yours.

[sethypooh21]

Let me chime in by saying that if you are going to call the all in here. (not the WORST play ever, but I probably fold absolute crap like you had pf, once the big stack calls, you put yourself in an ugly spot. If he just beats the big stack, you are now evenish, which sucks for you, but certainly be better then you having 1100 left after your blind to his 2400.) Once you do call, you either need to check it down or get all your chips in vs. the Button with top pair. Check raising is a fine option, but so is leading out as he probably folds and you are all in for a T2400 pot with top pair vs. RandomHand.

As far as the Button's play, given the relative chip position, it's an easy play to make if you show no strength. His Ace may be good, and he doesn't really care who has the chips between you and UTG (neither be that much of a threat at present), if he doesn't win. But he would sure like them, so he'll take a stab as that is the play that maximizes his chances of winning the pot. If he had something like T4000, this would be a pretty horrid play on his part (both the smooth call, and the bluff bet), but with a huge lead, I like his play. He can still lay down if you play back at him, and he might get you (as he did) to fold the best hand.

[curtains]

He has ace high, there is a reasonable chance its good. There is a lot of money in the pot, if there is even a 25% chance he will win against the lone allin player, its probably in his interest to knock out the other guy from the pot.
He really doesn't care at all about knocking out the other player with his chip situation. What he cares about is maximizing his chances to win the pot...and making a tiny bet did this.

[SmileyEH]

The big stack played it correctly and you played incorrectly. Go all in on the flop - if the bigstack beats you he almost certainly will also beat the shortstack. If the shortstack wins the mainpot and you end up losing the sidepot and finishing on the bubble, well thats poker.

You must be willing to die(bubble out a lot) in order to live (win the tourney).

-SmileyEH

[lastchance]

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More importantly, even if you call, you can't let someone on the shortstack get money in with the best of it, which is why you don't make loose calls, even if you can afford it.

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So the reality is, neither of us really should have called that all-in, right?

Thanks,
Mike

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Well, he had Ace high, and remember, UTG has just 4x BB. He's got to be pushing with any ace, any pair. I'd push with any king, faces, suited queens, etc. So, I like big stack's call because UTG is getting desperate. I don't like your call cuz J4 is total trash, even up against UTG, who would fold J4. Third of your stack, I'd just get out of the way and hope UTG busts.

Just my opinion, you could definitely play it a different way. But once the flop hits you with top pair, yeah, you know what? Push for the win.