Approaching the bubble...

[ARodOSU]

I was playing in the College Poker Championship qualifier round last Sunday on Royal Vegas when I was confronted with some difficult situations where I really wasn't sure what the best move was. The freeroll tournament had 1398 entrants with the top 140 qualifying for the semi-finals. I ended up finishing in 50th but I believe luck may have covered up some mistakes I made. Here are just a couple tough situations where I wasn't sure of the right move.

1. About 200 players remain and the big blind is 300. My stack is below average, but still decent, at about 3000. UTG+2 I pick up AKo and after thinking a while I decide to fold, knowing that there a quite a few loose-aggressive players at the table. My thinking was that if I played the hand, I would've ended up committing a good amount of my stack (if not all) and if I were to lose the hand it would greatly hurt my chances of qualifying. I also folded AQ in a similar situation.

2. A little while later there are now about 150 players remaining with the big blind at 600 and quickly approaching my short stack of about 1800. I pick up AQo and after thinking a while I decide to grow a pair and just do it. I went all in and was lucky enough to have just one caller, and he had KJ. After doubling up I was all but guaranteed a qualifying spot...but I felt I was lucky.

3. No longer outside of the bubble (just going for the money at the top) I pick up pocket 10's in the SB. The BB is about 2,000 and my stack is 10,000. UTG triples the BB and everyone folds to me. Putting the other player on a higher PP or AK I'm in a tough spot but I decide to go all in and hope for the best, UTG calls with AJo...good news. Or so I thought, until the flop brought two Aces and I was gone after the turn and river brought no help. 50th place and a $1.50 consolation prize (1st was $125).

Any comments on these hands and similar situations in multi-table tourneys would be much appreciated.

[RobGW]

I think you did the right thing on numbers 2 and 3. When the blinds are high in relation to your stack, it takes all the plays out of your book. Push all in and hope for the best. Number 2 worked out, number 3 didn't. That's the way it goes. However, I think the reason you were in that position was because of number 1. Way too tight imo. I might have pushed with the AK and the AQ.

[willie]

or at least raised with ak.

wish i could have gotten into this tourney deal....is the game really this wild?