I just cost myself $20k Â… help
Hey all, let me start by saying I am not a professional (clearly from the series of events that I am about to tell you) I love playing poker but rarely get to play tournaments because I own my own businesses and time is hard to come by. I recently blocked off time and played in Borgata winter open and had a great time and ended up going on a nice run in the 6 max tournament.
Here is the hand or hands in question. I am looking for your input and suggestions:
We are 5 handed - $50ish k for first. I am second in chips with around 3-4 million ( I do not remember the exact chip stack as there were multiple hands almost in a row that I stacked players and grabbed a bunch of chips) the chip leader who was a pro, had at least 6-9 million in chips. The other 3 players all had roughly 800k-1.5 million chips max.
The first big hand in question goes like this: I am in the big blind. The blinds are $50k sb, $100k bb with $100k ante. The under the gun player goes all in (or so I thought) for around 800-1 million, everyone folds to me, I look down at two red aces and I snap put a stack in and say call and flip my cards over, not realizing he had ONE $25k chip left behind. Since he technically wasnt all in, the flop ran out and he folded after seeing my aces. We all sort of laughed at the table and although it was unfortunate, no one was very concerned as he would be all in automatically the next hand and even next two even if he doubled up. Which is exactly what he did, to the point he doubled up and then ran a stack up to over a million within a few hands. I guess my first question is… should I have called the floor since he left behind a chip that was less than a sb ? How is that even legal? I know this is a newer thing in poker that I think personally is very sus … but what’s your opinion ?
Now for the real tragedy.. about 1 orbit later … still 5 handed, I look down and ak suited still sitting on around 3+ million in chips. I am in position and the player to my right shoves for $400k.. I make it $950k… the short stack (one chip player) folds and action is on the chip leader, he looks at me .. then jams. I have the opportunity to knock out a player and grab the chip lead. For a millisecond I thought could i really fold this ? Seeing I already had 950k and the other money in the pot, I just couldnÂ’t fold. I call.. chip leader shows aq of spades… the other all in has Ace 9 of diamonds…I’m loving life. The flop out lower connected cards with two spades…I knew it was over after that …the last spade hit the turn and it was over. He knocked us both out (I got 4th) since I had more chips.
Did I make the right play? Should I have jammed instead of making it $950k? Can I ever fold the ak there? Is this just a sick spot and I shouldnÂ’t worry about it and know I made the right play? ItÂ’s been almost a week since the tournament and I canÂ’t stop thinking about the whole series of events, from the all in but not really player to this hand .. it was just crazy. What do you guys think? Any info or friendly advice would be super helpful. I cashed for $19,000 Â…. And guess who got second place Â… the kid who had less than a small blind chip behind .
Poker is gross lol
4 Replies
1) The scenario that has occurred with player coming back from essentially a chip and a chair is a black swan event. In fact if his preflop bet was for 800k-1mil and he folded on the flop with one 25k chip left, it is probably even a +EV scenario for you as with the odds he was getting even the runner runner scenarios were probably pricing him in to call in terms of Chip EV (not necessarily $$$EV).
2) You were right not to push the case with the floor. It is very unlikely the player would be forced to put the remaining chip in, but it is quite possible you would incur a one-round penalty for exposing your cards prematurely (depending on which of the floors was running that event).
3) AK hand should be an all-in (you don't want to induce the chip leader for ICM reasons) although the eventual outcome might have still been the same.
4) Congrats on a great run, particularly so you being a recreational player in a reg-heavy field!
1. Nice run and congratulations on 4th.
2. Pay attention and slow down your play if you are missing things like whether someone is all in.
3. Weird **** happens when you put in all your money before you see 5 cards.
4. Chip leader may not fold AQ sooted anyways.
5. Learn ICM.
1. Pay attention
2. Shove, call as played
Most useful advice I can give is to read Dara’s book Endgame Poker Strategy and check the (huge) icm implications of being the second largest stack on a final table.
That will at least give you an insight into why the CL pro saw such leverage (fold equity) shoving AQ in that spot.
This is why they have all in buttons.
A good rule of thumb is if your stack is less than if you were you to 10x the bet then just jam it.
