ok, how would you have played this?

[flatidea 0]

I think I played this pretty much by the book. But if anyone has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them. It's a little nl sng table on pokerstars. We were down to the last 4 players. Blinds were 200/400 w an ante. I'm in second place very close behind the leader.I hit pocket 8s on the button. The leader limps in front of me. I raise to 1200 (little over 1/4 of my stack). Both blinds fold. Leader calls. Fold hits Qs Qd Acleader checks. I figure he's probably got the ace. So I check.turn hits 8dHe bets 800. I've hit a boat and need to keep him from hitting the other ace, right? I'm ready to go all in when suddenly I think "what if he already flopped his boat — nah, he's got a A-J, A-K — that's just too crazy... no way he's got A-Q. Think about it, we're shorthanded. There are so many other hands he could have here". But in the back of my mind, it kept me from pushing. I played back and raised to 1600. After a couple of moments and a request for time, he called. river hits 2hHe checks. I move all in. He calls again after a long wait. He's got the A-Q and knocks me out with Queens full to my Eights full.Is the right move here to call all in with the 8s? It's a middle pair. In hindsight, it looks like the right play. At least, that was my only chance to win the hand. Once that flop hit he wasn't getting away from it, no matter how much fake stalling he did. Would the majority of players play A-Q os shorthanded for most of their stack? I don't think I would. Heads up, def. I just stacked it up to being in a hand against a better hand and I tipped my hat to him. But 12 hours later, I wonder. How would you play it?

[gobears 0]

If it was a one table SnG, then with four players left, the next one to go out would get nothing.Maybe an all-in bet pre-flop with your 8's would have gotten you the pot. However, he limped in before the flop with AQ and might think that you were trying to steal the pot with an all-in raise.You were however a close second to him, so maybe he doesn't risk his stack against your all-in as he drops to 4th and probably out of the money if he loses.His limp-in was strange though as he was basically giving the blinds a chance to see the flop cheaply...if I was the leader, I wouldn't want to give away a free flop to the blinds.

[pokerplayer75 0]

If you were afraid he had a queen you should of just checked instead you got greedy. And four handed ace queen is a great hand. I think it's a great hand 10 handed as well. I wouldn't have limped in with it but I'm guessing he was trying to trap you and it worked.

[rog 0]

Would the majority of players play A-Q os shorthanded for most of their stack? I don't think I would. Heads up, def.  

When did he play AQos for most of his stack? You opened for 1/4 of your stack, and he was the leader, so he was playing AQos for at most 1/4 of his stack. Short handed I'd see that flop. He played his boat for most of his stack, and there's only one hand that beats his...AA. His only problem is getting you to put your money in the middle. What's he going to do...fold to your all-in? That said, I'm not sure I would have done much differently. You had a big hand in a short handed game, and ran into a bigger hand. The only reason to slow down here is that fact that you're on the bubble. If calling and losing leaves me as the short stack, I might as well go all in anyway. If it only puts me back to 3rd, I probably just call "in case" so I wont blind out on the bubble after losing. If I check and he puts me all in I cant fold it though.Rog

[wrto4556 0]

The chip leader set a good trap limping with AQ. It's very easy to think you had the best hand with eights full. Personally, I can't think of a reason you would fold this or even a reason not to get all your money in the pot. *shug*That sucks

[CoranMoran 0]

It's a little nl sng table on pokerstars. We were down to the last 4 players. Blinds were 200/400 w an ante. I'm in second place very close behind the leader.I hit pocket 8s on the button.

So you are on the bubble with a pocket pair.While it is probably best not to be making large bluffs in this situation, you still want to play your good hands aggressively to maximize your chances of winning the tournament.

The leader limps in front of me. I raise to 1200 (little over 1/4 of my stack). Both blinds fold. Leader calls.

I think your preflop raise is good here.It gives you a chance to take the pot immediately without further risk.If you are called, and if a flop falls safely with low cards, you are able to bet out with confidence that your hand is best.

Fold hits Qs Qd Acleader checks. I figure he's probably got the ace. So I check.

That's not the flop you were hoping for.If he has the Ace or Queen, you are behind.Checking to see a free card is logical.If you hit an 8 now, you may be set to rake in a huge pot.

turn hits 8d

Bingo.Full house: 8's over Q'sDespite being one away from the money, your hand is too strong not to commit your chips. The odds that he has you beat are very slim. So do whatever it takes to get as much into the pot as possible.

He bets 800. I've hit a boat and need to keep him from hitting the other ace, right? I'm ready to go all in when suddenly I think "what if he already flopped his boat

It is always tempting to wonder if your opponent has that one hand that can beat you. Espcially on the bubble!But it is fear that you must overcome if you want to play for first place.The reality of this situation is that there is a huge probablility that you are winning. And the odds are so much in your favor that you need to be willing to gamble wholeheartedly with this hand.

He checks. I move all in. He calls again after a long wait. He's got the A-Q and knocks me out with Queens full to my Eights full.

This is the most dificult part of poker.Somehow, after losing all of your chips and finishing on the bubble and getting absolutely no payout, you must find a way to recognize that you made the right play.In the long run, you will win 9 out of 10 of these situations. And the tournaments that you win because you gambled with your strong hand and doubled up will make the occasional loss feel much better.--cnm

[Smasharoo 0]

You played it fine.999 times out of 1000 your FH is the best hand on that river heads up.Shit happens.

[flatidea 0]

Thanks for all the input, guys. Looks like I played it fine, but got caught up against a bigger hand.

When did he play AQos for most of his stack?

He didn't. I meant if I pushed preflop, would he have called with just A-Q. I would have cost him most of his stack with nothing but at best, two overcards.