Sunday, January 29, 2006

Late play, late luck

It's very late in a 6 player $1+$0.10 SNG, and there's still four players left. Blinds are at 200/400, and I'm in the big blind. The guy to my right +left+ is going all-in for 755, and the button and small blind fold. I'm holding a crappy 23o, but for 355 more, I might luck out and knock this guy out. I'm the big stack with about 2800 in chips, and I call his all-in. He shows QTo. The board comes 925-2-3, giving me a full house. Great oogly moogly.

So now I'm facing this situation, two hands later: three players left, I'm on the button, and the big blind has a stack similar to me. The big blind only has about 340, so he's going to be blinded out. I get KJo, and try to scare off the small blind with an 800 raise. He calls instead.

The flop is QA2, giving me four to the straight, but those are scary cards. The small blind bets 400, and I'm left with a quandry. The big blind was the smallest stack coming into the hand, so if we both lose, I'm in the money in second place. Since the small blind is representing a strong hand, I'm thinking he's going to beat both of us, so I raise another 400 to scare him out, in case he's got a weak hand. He calls, as expected.

The turn's a 9. I all-in my final 960 and get called. The river's another Q.

I've got nothing but a king; the other two players turn over A7 (small blind) and A3 (forced big blind), giving them each two pair (AAQQ9), and me nothing (AKQQJ). I'm out in third, out of the money. Who'da thought?

(Yes, the right move was to fold when I saw the ace, and let the other guy try to knock the tiny stack out.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"...and I'm in the big blind. The guy to my right is going all-in for 755, and the button and small blind fold."

Guy to your left, maybe? Guy to your right should have been SB.

Re: folding when the ace comes. I so feel your pain. :)

travisl said...

Correct; fixed.