ChaDi
Rising Star
Bronze Level
Ok, so last night I was accused of cheating at the final table of a tournament. I don't think what I did was unethical, although I can see their point.
Here's the situation:
4 handed at the Final Table of an 18 dollar rebuy tournament, a little over 1300 for first place. There were three of us with a little more than 100,000 in chips and one shortstack with around 25,000.
I quickly realized that the other big stacks were playing way too tight because they were afraid of being knocked out while the short stack hung on. They were playing simply to move up the ladder and get a higher payout.
I seized the opportunity and began playing very recklessly, and they in turn allowed me to run the table over. I was stealing more or less at will and building my stack up at the expense of the other big stacks.
The short stack was playing kind of carefully, looking for a good spot to get his chips in (I thought he was playing too tight)
At any rate, all that exposition is to set up this hand...
I had stolen myself up to like 170K and the small stack had blinded down to 14K.
With blinds at 5/10 K I was in the BB with a random hand. (I honestly forget...let's call it 10 4 offsuit, because it was somewhere around there) The short stack raised all in, 4K more to 14 total and the small blind folded. I was faced with the obvious, no brainer decision of calling 4k into a pot of like 25 k.
I folded.
the other two big stacks went crazy and accused me of collusion and cheating and soft playing and so on.
I merely reasoned that it would be a better situation for me to keep the short stack alive.
As it turned out, the move sort of paid off. I was able to continue stealing blinds more or less at will, and by the time the next player got knocked out (NOT the shortstack who, in part thanks to me, made a comeback) I had a huge chiplead.
By the time we got 3 handed I had around 75 per cent of the chips in play and coasted to the victory. All throughout this the rail was accusing me of cheating and collusion etc.
I ran the story by a poker playing friend of mine and he felt my actions were "unethical" because I didn't "play equally tough against everyone."
I still maintain my actions were ok but I'd be interested in other opinions.
Thanks
Here's the situation:
4 handed at the Final Table of an 18 dollar rebuy tournament, a little over 1300 for first place. There were three of us with a little more than 100,000 in chips and one shortstack with around 25,000.
I quickly realized that the other big stacks were playing way too tight because they were afraid of being knocked out while the short stack hung on. They were playing simply to move up the ladder and get a higher payout.
I seized the opportunity and began playing very recklessly, and they in turn allowed me to run the table over. I was stealing more or less at will and building my stack up at the expense of the other big stacks.
The short stack was playing kind of carefully, looking for a good spot to get his chips in (I thought he was playing too tight)
At any rate, all that exposition is to set up this hand...
I had stolen myself up to like 170K and the small stack had blinded down to 14K.
With blinds at 5/10 K I was in the BB with a random hand. (I honestly forget...let's call it 10 4 offsuit, because it was somewhere around there) The short stack raised all in, 4K more to 14 total and the small blind folded. I was faced with the obvious, no brainer decision of calling 4k into a pot of like 25 k.
I folded.
the other two big stacks went crazy and accused me of collusion and cheating and soft playing and so on.
I merely reasoned that it would be a better situation for me to keep the short stack alive.
As it turned out, the move sort of paid off. I was able to continue stealing blinds more or less at will, and by the time the next player got knocked out (NOT the shortstack who, in part thanks to me, made a comeback) I had a huge chiplead.
By the time we got 3 handed I had around 75 per cent of the chips in play and coasted to the victory. All throughout this the rail was accusing me of cheating and collusion etc.
I ran the story by a poker playing friend of mine and he felt my actions were "unethical" because I didn't "play equally tough against everyone."
I still maintain my actions were ok but I'd be interested in other opinions.
Thanks