Coin flip situation early in a tournament

Decision?

  • Call

    Votes: 4 30.8%
  • Fold

    Votes: 9 69.2%

  • Total voters
    13
N

nathanthomp

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Imagine you bought in a tournament for $100. The starting stack is 5000 and the blinds start at 25/50. The first hand is folded around to you on the button and you look down and see 9h 9d. You make a standard raise to 150. SB folds and BB reraises all in. While deliberating, the BB accidentally flips his cards and you see he has As Ks. Would you call or fold and wait for a better spot later in the tourney?
 
blankoblanco

blankoblanco

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I fold... if I'm entering a tournament, I'm not doing so to look for coinflips, I'm doing so to look for edges because I think I'm better than the majority of players and can find those spots to give myself the best chance to do well.

We've only invested like 3% of our starting stack. The edge is just so miniscule that the chance of getting knocked out immediately overrides it, I think.

Also consider the fact that it folded around to the button. Because of this, there's a good chance the players who folded before you didn't have many, if any, big cards (aces or kings) in their hands, meaning there are probably more of them to be dealt on the board.
 
gord962

gord962

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Easy fold. In a cash game we call, tournament we fold.
 
shinedown.45

shinedown.45

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Whether live or online, this situation is an easy fold this early in a tourney.
I look at it this way, if your PP is not the type of PP that you would push UTG or from EP, then it simply isn't worth a coin-flip.
 
Wolfpack43ACC

Wolfpack43ACC

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AK offsuited? I call. I'm getting my chips in ahead, don't care if it's a coinflip or not. You miss the flop more than you hit it. Tournament poker isn't about surviving, but winning. I play to win, so I call.
 
robwhufc

robwhufc

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AK offsuited?
My God, No! It was AK SUITED!!!.

Dont see how this can be an "easy" fold? You've got slightly greater than even odds to slightly more than double your money. Strictly on that basis it's a call. For the "fold" side there's the argument that you're better than your opponents (but is that really true?) and can find better situations to increase your stack, and you'd get more play from your $100 investment. On the "call" side, there's a chance to immediately have double the stack of your opponents, and have the chance to use that critical mass to boss the table and get more chips. If you lose, you'll have wasted the minimum time possible (if you aren't going to cash, the best time to go out is early).

I don't know what i'd do really, but am voting "call" to givethe debate some balance.
 
gord962

gord962

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I'm not about to put my tournament life on the line with a coinflip this early on. There are a million places later on where you can get your money in while well ahead. You will still have $4850 left in chips - I see absolutely no need to call this.
 
J

joeeagles

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I think a good 95% here would say to fold. I have a better question. What if this is the end of the tourney? You're HU with 99, you raised PF he moves all-in, accidentally showing AK.

You're ahead in the chip count 2 to 1. Call or fold?
He's ahead 2 to 1. Call or fold?
Chip stacks are just about even. Call or fold?


1st place pays 5k, 2nd place pays 2.5k.
 
Wolfpack43ACC

Wolfpack43ACC

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You guys are way way way too worried about how much time has gone by in the tournament. Your in with the best hand preflop... if it doesn't hold, it doesn't hold.
 
A

alpha3m

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I'd have to say fold even though I sometimes like to call the two overpair all-in's with my slightly higher pocket pairs. Like it was said before, it's a coin flip, but initial percentages go your way.

Fact of the matter is, you only have 150 into the pot. To call another 4850, there's no pot odds, and given the person didn't jump the gun and flip the AK suited, you wouldn't know if you where facing a higher pp or complete garbage.

I agree with the posts that say wait, pick your spots, and don't put yourself into a position to get knocked out unless your at least 90% sure you have the best hand.

Just my two cents.
 
robwhufc

robwhufc

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I'm not about to put my tournament life on the line with a coinflip this early on. There are a million places later on where you can get your money in while well ahead. You will still have $4850 left in chips - I see absolutely no need to call this.
Fair enough i'd probably fold too, but why would you fold here with 52% odds, yet call in a cash game - wouldn't you have a million better places there too?
 
gord962

gord962

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Fair enough i'd probably fold too, but why would you fold here with 52% odds, yet call in a cash game - wouldn't you have a million better places there too?

I can buy back in on a cash game, so with the slightest edge I will call if I am ahead. If I lose I can buy back in and have a shot at winning my chips back, esp if the donk is that loose to push 100BB. If this is a rebuy tournament I instacall, then if it holds, great, if not, rebuy.
 
blankoblanco

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Agree completely with gord
 
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