Bubble decision

I was in the freeroll where the top 27 cash. There were 29 guys left. I was sitting at about 23rd or 24th with 5 big blinds left. Blinds were 250/500 with 50 ante. I had 88 on BB.

This guy a few seats to my right built a big stack by stealing preflop and sucking out a few times. From past experience he tends to raise with junk and limp with a big hand looking to call an over the top shove.

He raises to 2000. Everyone folds to me. If I fold, that leaves me with less than 2100 and an M around 2.

I looked at the other tables. One guy had 100 chips left and was all but finished so I could fold myself to 28th at least. But the other guys were all bunched together, separated by maybe 1 big blind.

I took the maximum time to look at the other tables and the chip ranking list and decided to go all in, with the thinking that had I folded, there was no guarantee I would make the money anyhow. He had 97. The flop was a total blank for him but he hits a 9 on the turn to finish me off.

Although villain could have had any two cards, my 88 may very well have been a coin flip. By taking a chance and losing, I pretty much let the remaining guys on the bubble in the money (except the 100 chips guy).

Would you more expeirenced MTT players fold in this spot? 27th only pays $2.20.

I usually wouldn't, but it all comes down to what you are trying to accomplish - win the damn thing or min-cash.

There was a case a couple days ago where I literally played for 4th place money at the final table. That's what I needed to get my BR over the hump to move up to a higher buy in. I hung around and took 4th.
Watch out what you aim for, you might just hit it.

You had no guarantee of making it ITM and 88 here heads up is, as you rightly said, so far ahead of villains range that it's an easy shove even though it's an easy call by the villain with ATC. Over time you will cash more than you will bust and the times you cash will average out higher than the min-cash you would average by just barely making it ITM.

MediaBLITZ pretty much nailed it, it all depends on what your shooting for. If you would been happy with 27th then I would have folded because even with that wide range he has you know he will more than likely have one over if not two.

If you had your eye on a higher prize then its a easy push situation.

It's a shove given your small stack. If you had say 20BB, you could consider folding here.

I would have waited it out because you have to consider the time risk. Since you could put the guy on any two cards it may be a bad fold sometimes, but look at it like this. It is better to have tried and pick a spot with AK or KQ there than 88 because if his gamble hits you turn into a major underdog. However, if you have KQ and his gamble hits, you may end up with a decent draw and still only be a 3-1. So it is more about post flop odds. As much as I enjoy a good flip, the bubble is not a time to go for em. I would have held off for two face cards because he's gonna force the weak ones out of the pot anyway and he may force someone else to a similar decision before you get knocked off. Heavy aggression at your table could have meant he eliminates someone else faster than you would have blinded. And I would rather take that risk than gamble on the bubble after playing a long tourney.

i know this sounds like a weak cop out to most but when trying to atleast itm or get ahead ,once i get down to about 10 bb i will be watching the low stacks and will play the clock and if hope is with me i will hit a big pair that will try to come up on.in my case i have found that even folding to the end will atleast give myself a chance to atleast double back up.

Shove. who cares about $2 or less. my 2 cents and not meant to be an insult to anyone.

I am new to online poker but play a lot of live tournaments and cash nlh. Being new to online poker i haven't decided how or with who i want to deposit my bankroll with so i have played in about 12 freerolls. I have cashed in 2 at carbon finished 75 on bodog just out of the money. I could have easily finished in the money on bodog with 135k in chips and siting in 9 out of 85 but i pushed a small stack all in with the best hand and he 1/22 me with a 9 to win. Then i was dealt AA and decided UTG to push all in and once again was out drawn. 5 hands later i had a pair of 4 on the button and opened the pot for my last 19K and was out. I would do it all over again.

I'd probably fold there. 88 isn't that good a hand. It's a coin flip most times. But if you're trying to win the thing, sometimes you gotta make a stand, so your call was fine. You just as easily could have doubled up and had a chance to make the final table.

Thanks for your thoughts. It seems like most would go all in there.

After one day, if I had to do it over again, I think I would again go all in again. Was disappointed at the result but have to try to not be result oriented.

If I folded there, I would have around 2000 left (1750 left after posting SB) was still jostling with 4, 5 other guys not to get eliminated.

I finished 4th tonight and my final hand was another tough one. I had K9 suited on BTN with about 9900 left and the blinds 1500/3000 with 100 ante. Being in 4th that was a pretty easy shove. Got called by 82os.

The board is 34756 and I lost on the river 6. The turn gave him 8 extra outs and the river was one of those 8.

As the cliche goes, once the chips are in, it's up to lady luck.

I can see the argument for folding here but can also see why 88 was shoved. It just goes to show that you can use up your time while investigating the stacks on other tables and where they are in relation to the blinds, have a good knowledge of the range of the pre-flop raiser, think things through carefully and still end up losing out. You could play the hand the exact same way the next time and win. Like other people have said, it depends on what you're hoping to accomplish - winning or cashing. I always start out with the aim of winning but a bad beat can change things where simply cashing ends up being a very good result. The money mentioned is interesting and it's got me thinking - personally, losing out on $2.20 isn't too bad. If I'd lost out on say $10 though, I may have felt differently. I suppose it comes down to it not being a great feeling finishing a couple of places outside the money, no matter what that money is.

if i was in this situation with others been so shortstacked on other tables i would have used the timebank and folded, you had 8 more hands until the blinds come round again to pick up a more playable hand, by that time surely someone on another table would have been in the same position as you found yourself in. once ITM then this situation is an automatic shove, thats when u need to be taking risks and going for the win, as the saying goes, if uve a chip and a chair. no one want s to be the bubble boy

Every good tournament player knows that long term positive ROI comes from deep runs. 50% of the prisepool will often go to the top 3 places. That's the ONLY thing you should be focussed on. You have no fold equity so you know your going to get called but I'vee never faced anyone so tight that any pair, let alone 88, is an underdog to vs a late position stealing range. That goes double for the bubble. By folding here what you're really doing is Throwing In The Towel. You're saying to yourself that you have no chance of winning so you might as well squeak into the money and be happy with a min cash, as if $2 was worth the 3 hours you just invested to get there. You're time is worth more than that. Call or shove with any pair and be happy with your decision regardless of the outcome.

I LOOOOOVE your handle!

Um, Thank you? Welcome to the site.
Please excuse all the speling and puntuation mistakes. Did that one on my blackberry. I've got big thumbs.

It all depends whether you are happy to wait to get itm or whether you wanted to take a chance to get higher in the money. I myself would take a chance against a single opponent with 88.