A Poker Question for the Masses
posted by Will on May 12, 2012
Here is a question guys regarding a poker situation that occurred in the 3 month tournament a couple of weeks ago… what would you do?
Here are the details:
– Blinds are 2000/4000
– Your at a 6 t0 7 handed table
-There are approximately 18 people remaining in the tournament and at 15th place the “money” starts
– You are easily the 2nd stack in the tournament with about 50,000 in chips
– A player, who happens to be the only person in the room with more chips than you and has been relatively aggressive, raises all-in from the cut-off (which is the spot located directly to the right of the dealer).
– Everyone folds around to your big blind.
– You look down and see 9-9….. Its now your tournament life, what would you do!?!?!
About this author
Hello, im Will. I have been playing poker for 7 plus years, and have been a player/employee of Back Door Poker for almost 3 years now. I have played hold-em at most every level possible, local casinos, WSOP, home games, etc. My favorite hand is 9-10 and I do believe it is has a 100% win rate.
Comments
i doubt fred would fold with 67 suited in that position. or J5 lol
fold so as not to risk busting out. the chip leader probably has big cards and hitting one would put you out
Heads up play??? Any advice out their I either come out good or can not find my way out of heads up, I need a good consistant heads up strategy??
People always say what they would do but you never really know until it happens. For me there are a lot of other factors to consider the player(s),time of day and how I feel. You just have to hope that you are making the right decision and wish for the best. Smile
It seems to me that everytime I get taken out after I have made it to the last couple tables, it seems to be because of preflop gambles. One of my biggest fears in poker is pre-flop “all-ins”. I would fold those 9’s and take his chips with smart poker palyin’.
Lol @ chip about fred
i was there and i guess by hinesight i had to fold which i would have done even though i called the same player with A J and spiked a J which held up and put him out.CRAZY GAME SOMETIMES
First let say that I’m surprised no one has brought up the old saying that big stacks should avoid playing big stacks late in tournaments. Simply because it is wise to stay away from the players that can really hurt you or take you out.
Shoving and calling are two totally different animals. In this situation the player shoving has a much wider range than the player calling. So, what range would this relatively aggresive (but not crazy) player open shove with. Not knowing otherwise, I would suggest the following… Total bluff two unders or high card/rag 5-10%. Under pair 15-20%. Two overs 60-70%. Over pair remaining 20% or fraction thereof. (I’ve removed premium hands such as AA, KK, QQ, AK and AQ from the open shove range due to a solid aggressive player more than likely making a standard raise in hopes of a caller or two.) To me, facing a situation in which I’m flipping or behind 70%+ of the time would tilt me towards folding in this situation. Especially against another big stack.
very nice comments guys… maybe ill take em into consideration in upcoming games.. but probably not 🙂 mike right on the money man! he showed A/10 off
Free tournament? Call, no reason for big stack to push all in unless he wants blinds and stragglers. Cash tournament? Fold, let him/her have it ’til one can catch them off guard.
The hands you need to win to really dominate and win a trny. The flips. however i think it is better to be the one pushing this hand rather then calling off your stack with it.
Fundamentally this is an easy fold for me without a second thought.
But in the actual game my fundamentals get really foggy!
So what did you do?
Will, I am going to assume you called and lost. Everyone else on here posting knows the outcome as well. It is easy to judge a hand after it has been played. Sitting in the big blind with the second biggest stack but you only have less than 13 big blinds. Even if he was to make a standard raise and you called, then folded on the flop you would lose 25% of your stack. It is very situational and depends on the player and your read on him. Is he a good player that is aware that you have the second biggest chip stack and he’s willing to risk all of his chips on possibly you calling? That is the only question that has been bugging me about the situation why would he risk all of his chips with a bad hand? An aggressive player from that cut off position with the big stack could easily have an under pair to your nines but very well may hold ace king and you’re flipping a coin. I believe that you have to join a tournament playing to win and not just make the money so if you put him on anything but an over pair it is not a horrible call, either you’re slightly ahead or he’s crushed with an under pair. If you could have won that hand you very easily could have won the whole tournament, what did he end up showing by the way?
Yea Yea!! Play em when u ahead 🙂
Chip is correct in his assesment, that is exactly what I would have said as well.
Chip, nice post. I agree.
DEAR SON I AM WRITING THIS LETTER SLOWLY BECAUSE I KNOW YOU CANT READ VERY FAST.
Here is my take on the 9ers. Blind level schmind level that wont matter any knowing you are facing the end of your tourney on a made hand but poor. If you have AA KK AK or QQ then ship it and hope for the best and here is why. Those are big hands and you are facing a big bet. so big bet = big hand 99= not bad but do you want to put your tourney life on them?
there are 5 cards above a 9 if he has one of those and i think he has remember he shoved, and spikes it then see you again in 3 months. Chris you are one heck of a card player and a gambler we know how you felt about them. fred fred fred you would do what?
See you all at the final table. Chip.
I love the situation. This is where all the decisions are tough, bubble area. The biggest issue that I see is the chip stacks, you can justify folding almost any hand against the only person that can knock you out of the tournament. But if you feel lucky, the 99 is going to be ahead of most hands. Its really a difficult spot since you could be out of the tourney or a top 5 spot almost locked up with a great shot at winning. If you can make lots of chips in other hands then easily fold, but if you need a good spot to double up, then play it! If you are shortstacked its an easy decision but the stacks is what makes this spot hard.
haha blinds were 4 – 8
Wow, it depends on how much you’ve seen him play and did you ever see what hole cards he had…did any of his cards show after the river? How aggressive was he with small pairs? I don’t know…I’m still learning the game. If you are the second stack, you have a lot to lose with steps within “Money.” They said at the final table your cards should play like the beginning of the tournament…face cards can be played with aggression like Aces, Kings or one of those hold cards…you can be a little more aggressive with, I guess. But pocket 9’s…I would probably muck them…his face card probably hits. Tough decision.
I’m still learning…even though I know its heads up against the big stack…I think I would fold.
I would more than likely FOLD and let him take the blinds.