What to do??

[FearlessPhil]

I'm playing in a live tournament (1675 buyin) and we are nearing the end of the first day. There are about 200 players left out of 780 who started and they are paying 85. The blinds are 1500 and 3000 with a 400 ante. I have 38000 in chips (started with 20000). I am on the button. The last time I was on the button, everyone folded to the player on my right and he limped. I shoved (K-J) and everyone folded (the player who limped thought about it quite a while before folding). I have moved allin three other times in the last hour or so and no one called. I've been mostly card dead and have played very few hands.

Now we've gone around the board once since the shove I mentioned and I'm on the button again with A-9. A player in middle position who has been playing pretty tight min raises and the player on my right calls. Both of them have about 65K.

What should I do?

 

[wagnert]

I would fold, let us know what happened.

 

[GRANDPAPA929]

I wouldn't take any chances with A-9. How is it you have? Interesting...

 

[Acesinthebig]

Tight player min-raising from early position is trouble. If it was a more aggressive player I would say almost always a shove.

 

[FearlessPhil]

I went through the same thought processes as you guys did and came up with the same decision. I folded and both blinds folded. The flop was A-10-2 and they both checked. The turn and the river were 4 and 8 and they checked it down. The first player had 66 and the second had 55 so I would have won if either one called. I suspect they would both
have folded to a shove.

Bottom line, I think I did the right thing but it turns out to be wrong in this specific situation.

In the movie "The Cincinnati Kid", Lancey Howard (Edward G. Robinson) says after the climactic hand:

"That's what it's all about - making the wrong move at the right time"

I guess it applies just as much today as it did 50 years ago.

I did make it to day 2 but really short stacked and ended up busting out with a very similar hand. I shoved with
A-8 in the small blind against an aggressive player with a big stack who had min-raised in middle position. He said something to the effect that he was going to double me up and called with 4d6d. He flopped a six and I hit the rail. In this one I guess I did the right thing at the wrong time. That's poker!

 

[Bagdalac4ever]

Well, I would try and see what happen. If you want to win you need to take chances.

 

[TheNutz4You]

easy fold here imo. I think you did the right thing

 

[rehanov]

is there any other option than folding ?
why take ur chances with ace 9 against a tight player?

 

[TheNutz4You]

I think you are thinking into it to much. You did the right thing and folded regardless of the outcome of the hand.

 

[Gabinho12345]

I would fold, but if player in MP was more aggressive I would consider shoving.

 

[chng1t]

A9 spot

As I undestood you are ~20bb effective. In this case even against tight range we can shove this range: 22+ A2s+ ATo+ suited broadway KQo.
So A9s is a shove, but A9o is definitely a fold.

 

[FearlessPhil]

I'm not sure where you got 20BB. It was actually a bit more than 12 and, if you evaluate the blinds also, I was only good for 4 trips around the board.

It was A9o.

In any case, it was one of those decisions that was very close. It seems to me that making those decisions in the best way is key to doing well in tournament poker. I wish I had a better track record at doing that.