Dagon7
Rock Star
Silver Level
This is something that really confuses me about online tournaments, when a short stack goes all-in pre-flop and is called by two (or more) big stacks, what is the correct play? I always believed from home games and watching the pro's on TV that the correct play was to check it down so that ether of the hands against the short stack would have a chance of eliminating that player. This may get a little hard to follow bare with me.
Bob has 500 goes all in pre, Rick has 3000 and calls, John has 4000 and calls, pot is 1500. the flop comes , all players flop huge but John clearly has the nuts, but no possibility for a better hand except 2 running hearts he checks to be polite and to not risk doubling the short stack, rick has top 2 pair with (he thinks) 6 outs to a full . He sees the check as a sign of weakness and bets 500, john, confused, calls. the turn comes Johns hand is the same as before except he has a flush draw and a st flush draw, he checks, Rick now has Q's full of K's he goes all in. John sees the house and rather than risking the tourney on one hand with only 1 out he folds. the river comes .
changing nothing about bob's hand or ricks, Bob triples up and Rick breaks even, John folded the straight flush and lost 1000. Who made the right play? Bob made money, Rick didn't loose money so obviously they are right? NO! If Rick had checked it down he would have lost the hand and 500 chips but they also would have eliminated Bob which is what a tourney is all about. Instead he now has the same amount of opponents only one is stronger than ever. The next couple hands a bitter John and a newly emboldened Bob crush Rick and his bad manners with low suited connectors.
What say you world?
BTW I tried searching for this topic and could not find it.
Bob has 500 goes all in pre, Rick has 3000 and calls, John has 4000 and calls, pot is 1500. the flop comes , all players flop huge but John clearly has the nuts, but no possibility for a better hand except 2 running hearts he checks to be polite and to not risk doubling the short stack, rick has top 2 pair with (he thinks) 6 outs to a full . He sees the check as a sign of weakness and bets 500, john, confused, calls. the turn comes Johns hand is the same as before except he has a flush draw and a st flush draw, he checks, Rick now has Q's full of K's he goes all in. John sees the house and rather than risking the tourney on one hand with only 1 out he folds. the river comes .
changing nothing about bob's hand or ricks, Bob triples up and Rick breaks even, John folded the straight flush and lost 1000. Who made the right play? Bob made money, Rick didn't loose money so obviously they are right? NO! If Rick had checked it down he would have lost the hand and 500 chips but they also would have eliminated Bob which is what a tourney is all about. Instead he now has the same amount of opponents only one is stronger than ever. The next couple hands a bitter John and a newly emboldened Bob crush Rick and his bad manners with low suited connectors.
What say you world?
BTW I tried searching for this topic and could not find it.
Last edited: