shortstacked at a volitile final table
Quote: Zer0So the other day I was at a final table almost in the money where 5th and up get paid. there were 7 of us left, I had 17k, guy next to me had 11k, 3 other people had somewhere between 30 and 50k, and the two chip leaders had a ridiculous amount that wasn't even worth counting, probably north of 100k, Blinds were at 2k/4k. I wound up getting busted in 7th with pocket 4's when the person with 11k (who was first to act, I was 3rd to act) went all in, I re-raised it to my 17k I had left, and one of the middle stacks called. guy with 11k took the main pot with AA, middle stack had A-8 (off suit) and won the side pot by catching an 8. The reason I'm making this thread is because people were shoving/calling shoves on hands that weren't that great (like calling two people all in with an A-8 OS, for example) , and it seemed to me that it was only a matter of time before somebody with a higher stack than me made a mistake and got busted, so the question is, in this situation, when you're 2 spots away from being in the money, do you go with the 4's or do you take your chances with the blinds and hope somebody else screws up when it seems they're liable to?
Small pocket pairs have been my kryptonite, so I have to say I would have folded with UTG all-in, even though he was shorter than you; let somebody else with much more than 11K take him down if he could be taken. I might have defended either blind with them (pair 4's) if it was just me vs. short stack by then. I would guess the guy with A8o didn't believe either of you had a hand, with the 2 short stacks. He was wrong but lucky, as it turned out. So, IMO, you were in too early a position to all-in with a small pair and your smallish stack. Keep in mind that, in poker, my opinion is worth what you paid for it, but there it is. :)
when another shortie shoves all in under the gun, it is usually a decent hand, or one your probably flipping at best. Only hands he does it with that you have crushed are 22 and 33. If you have 99+ its probably an all-in.
given the stack sizes, you should be gambling, but 44 is probably incorrect.
Quote: Zer0Thanks guys! I just figured since he has 2.5 bb (which were going up soon now that I think about it) he could have anything from JQ to aces, and he did have to pay for bb next hand, I played thinking he had KQ or AK which I was willing to take my chances on.
even if he has KQ and AK its still a fold I think. If the SB has any sort of stack he should be calling with any two cards. Likewise, if either the monster stacks has any sort of "pretty" hand, they should be calling 2.5BB. Theres a misconception that any stack under 10BB is an auto shove spot. But in this spot you should of folded. Don't feel too bad, its close... Just the long term, you should be letting go of hands like this.
