The big stack

I've got a question for all of you out there. Have you ever been at a table with someone who has a monstrous chip lead at a multi table tourney and he just forces the action every hand? I'm in a freezeout last night and playing fairly well. I'm at the stack average and about 30 places out of the money ( started at 680 players and pays to 39th). I'm getting some very playable hands (AJs-AKo-99) but the big stack pushes it every single hand. I finally get an AKs and when the inevitable push comes around I call the all in. He ends up getting a flush of another suit playing a 3-7s. I know that patience was the best solution to the dilemna and had I waited I might have at least ended up at the bottom of the payout schedule, but would any of you had called? My feeling is when you're getting good cards you have to make your play at some point.

This is a natural occurance and you do have to make your play when you think the time is right. Your chip stack is a much more powerful weapon than the cards you're dealt as you can afford to push people around. One of my biggest weaknesses is that I don't do this often enough when I am the big stack. You want to control the action at any table you're on and being big stack gives you this added weapon...

Same here Dave, but I am getting better at using the stack to my advantage. This particular time was annoying because he did it just like a newb bets all in at the start of a tourney, almost like he didn't even look at his cards, just hits the all in like it's a toy. But, he had em to do it so it was his call to make I guess.

To play against the big stack, you need to have a great hand (pre-flop anyway) to go up against. AK is a good hand to do that and chances are, the big stack doesn't have as good of a starting hand as you do. The big stack simply got lucky.

Poker is about getting your money in when it is good. You can't do much if the cards don't fall your way. You made the right play and just got unlucky.

Thats the old Bully tactic and not much you can do, you did the right thing with the best hand just got unlucky same for me though it is nearly impossible for me to fold AK but when I am in that situation I like to get pocket pairs and go to battle with the bullies cos they will push around the table withcrap like that 73 I think it was just keep your game at a high level and things will turn around

Ima you did the right bet with ak. Big stack got lucky. Many times when playing a gainst a big stack I have found myself all in with AA or KK big stack calls 2 7 os and gets lucky on me when they are running hot or lucky they are hard to beat...............Rock

Playing the big stack is one of the huge weaknesses I see out there all the time. There is a huge difference between bullying the table with it and donking off all your chips quickly.

You still need your pre-flop raises to be respected, this will not happen if you are raising every second hand remember !
Try to watch the smaller stacks who are waiting in the wings to double through you, the table conditions still need to be correct for a raise remember.

True enough Rock. When someone has the cards falling there's not much you can do. I know I made the right call, I was still venting a wee bit when I entered the thread . I do have to admit though that you have to deal with the big stack from time to time, it happens. but this guy was just lucky to the point that defies logic. I wasn't the only one who called him, he just chopped us down one at a time with garbage pockets. It really was almost unbelievable.

Eww I hate chip leaders/. Pushin' everyone around. He just got there cause of luck. So I'd rather not even play vs him and if I do it's goin' to be AA the best hand goin' in.. then if he wins so be it I knew I went in withthe best hand and couldn't do anythin' about it. Just unlucky.

Those chip leaders iritate me like crazy. I was chip leader once and played as if the tournament had just started FOLD FOLD FOLD no big raises etc...