3rd man all-in in a tournament.

UnknownUnknown
in Brags, Beats & Variance
I was playing in a single table tourney recently and the last hand of the night was this: 4 people left, blinds 300-600. UTG has T2700, I have just over T10000 on the button, SB has T2500, and BB has T2000. I'm wondering not so much about my play as the SB's. Top 3 positions pay.

UTG goes all-in with AQo.
I call with AKo.
SB calls with 88.
BB folds.

I hit a king on the flop, and that was it. UTG had SB just barely covered, so UTG took 3rd place and the money finish. Personally, I don't think SB should have called here. I would fold a lot of hands in this spot. What hands would you lay down?

I (more or less) jokingly said that the BB would have folded pocket aces by the time it got around to him, after 3 all-in's.

Comments

  • Dave ScharfDave Scharf
    If I am the SB there aren't that many hands I call with. Although the UTG player will have a wide range of hands and the BIG stack flat caller will also have a wide range of hands there just aren't too many combinations of the two hands that I can feel good about going up against with 8-8.

    Classic case of being either a small favourite (against a hand like A-K) or a BIG dog (against a bigger pair).

    If I am the small blind I probably call with Q-Q, K-K, A-A, A-K, and A-Q.
  • ScottyZScottyZ
    I would agree with Dave & all_aces that playing the 88 on the SB is questionable. I would probably fold it here and hope to wait out the BB who is (just barely) scheduled to blind off first.

    If I'm in the BB, I'm folding everything except Aces; however, as all_aces alluded too, I think folding Aces in that spot is not too bad either. It really depends on how flat the payoff structure is. If you are getting a big prize for 3rd, folding Aces is easy, but if 1st and 2nd prizes are considerably bigger than the 3rd I think it's a close decision, and I'd probably give those Aces a ride.

    By folding Aces, you are pretty much guaranteed 3rd, but have only a small chance of moving higher than that unless the big stack does win the hand in question. Playing the Aces busts you on the bubble if you lose the hand, but vaults you to being about tied with the chip leader with a virtual lock on 2nd place or higher if you win.

    I'd easily fold Kings in this spot. Why? Because it was a close decision whether or not to play Aces. 8) And of course, this is strictly a tournament tactics decision. I don't think I have any reason to think that Kings are not the best hand pre-flop. However, a single Ace is a likely hand to be out there, and I'm not willing to face such a draw, thin as it may be.

    Maybe this is one of those times you look down in the BB and hope to find 72. It woudl be pretty agonizing to pick up something like KK or QQ. :)

    ScottyZ
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