Rethinking a 5x bb call on the final table

[bestcellar]

Hey guys....I made the final table at the 10R on Saturday afternoon and was barely the chip leader with 500k when we started. I got majorly colddecked for the next thirty five hands and with the blinds at 15k/30k,750 ante, I was blinded off for about half my stack before I knew it. I simply had no hands I could do anything with. With about 200K left and now the short stack 6-handed, and the blinds now up to 20k/40k, I pick up KJ off. UTG raises to about 160k. This is now the chip leader with 1 million and has been somewhat aggressive, but as long as I've sat with him I've never seen him make a suspect play or repeatedly steal the blinds. I decide that if I call, I'm probably up against at least an ace, possibly dominated, maybe possibly a race against a medium pair. But who knows. Anyway, I muck it. The very next hand I pick up JT of clubs. Different player, UTG+1, makes it 160k. This player has a significantly shorter stack, like 450k, and could be moving with anything. I decide that with this hand I like my chances a lot better with all the straight and flush possibilities, so I call all in. He flips up KK and my tourney is quickly over. I finish in 6th for about $985. First place money was over 5 grand.

Would you have waited for a couple more hands? In two hands I would've been in the big blind for 40k, leaving me with 160k, and blinds were going up again in a few minutes to 30k/60k. Everyone else at the table was clearly waiting me out and all had at least 350k or more.

[Crispy]

First off you should not have let half your stack get taken by the blinds. Pick your spots and steal from the short stacks on the table. Also, if my knowledge serves me correctly, when you have a big stack and he makes a raise your calling standards should lower slightly and when you have a small stack making a huge raise you should increase those standards. There are far more hands that dominate 10Js than KJ and calling a small stack with something worse than you would call a big stack is where I think you went wrong. Hope this helps, just my 2 cents.

[bestcellar]

I usually don't let myself get blinded off, but I had the worst run of combinations you can imagine. Every time I had a stealable hand in late position, two guys would be all in before me. When it was folded to me in late, I'd have something like 83 off. I just couldn't justify moving with that.

[bestcellar]

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First off you should not have let half your stack get taken by the blinds. Pick your spots and steal from the short stacks on the table. Also, if my knowledge serves me correctly, when you have a big stack and he makes a raise your calling standards should lower slightly and when you have a small stack making a huge raise you should increase those standards. There are far more hands that dominate 10Js than KJ and calling a small stack with something worse than you would call a big stack is where I think you went wrong. Hope this helps, just my 2 cents.

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Normally I would agree with you but when the KK raised to 4x big blind (not a huge raise perse) he only had 11x the big blind left.

[Lloyd]

I pretty much echo his thoughts. You need to learn how to play the big stack and use your stack and position to steal and pick on smaller stacks. As for the hand in question, I'd prefer to push with any two cards than to call with KJ or JT. Bottom line is you need to get more aggressive and be willing to take chances regardless of what your dealt.

[Lloyd]

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When it was folded to me in late, I'd have something like 83 off. I just couldn't justify moving with that.

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Sure you can.

[bestcellar]

When I say "chip leader" going into the final table, I mean by like 30k in chips. 7 players were bunched up near the top. Still, I guess you're right.

[11t]

Terrible call man, yes you are short stacked but you can find a better spot.

I'd rather find some raggidy ace than JTs to put my stack in with.

[bestcellar]

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Terrible call man, yes you are short stacked but you can find a better spot.

I'd rather find some raggidy ace than JTs to put my stack in with.

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well, against KK I would agree...against AA I like JTs better than any other hand