So I was playing in a $2k guaranteed NLHE MTT yesterday, and I'd managed to break my streak of busting out in the final two tables. I made it to the final table with a fairly healthy stacked and locked into second when I tripped my twos against the field. When it got down to four, I'd been dealt AK. The chip leader min-raised UTG. I didn't have a good read on him, so I just called. The flop was rags. He checked. I bet a sizeable amount. He called. We both checked the ragged turn. He bet a tiny amount in relation to the pot on the ragged river. I called and he showed 86os for a pair of sixes.

Well, a number of hands later...this similar situation came up...

sunchild ~83,000
CobaltBlue ~32,000
AlBunde ~8,000
chillphil ~9,000

Blinds: 800/1,600

CobaltBlue has AKos on the button

sunchild (CO) raises 3,600
CobaltBlue raises 9,000
2 folds
sunchild goes all-in
CobaltBlue ?

I figured that he was just trying to steal the blinds with junk again...so that's why I went for the re-raise. I ended up folding. I don't particularly like gambling with AK. Fourth place was around $200 less than second. I figured that I could definitely make second (with the other two being so short-stacked) and have a better shot at this guy heads-up.

It ended up that I did get heads-up with the guy with around 12,000 left. Put my money in with AJos and he called and took me down with K9s. I was still quite happy to book my biggest MTT win (and second biggest poker day) ever.

Anyway...I guess my question...was my line of reasoning reasonable or should I have gone for the double up?

No I dont think that you should gamble in this spot yes you may have the best hand but I feel like you do that with the other two so shortstacked that you can fold and wait for a better spot. You made it 9,000 to go so that would leave you with 23,00 in chips which is not healthy by any means but with two opponents who are pot commited and you haviing around 15BB left I think this is definitely the right fold to wait for a better spot and try and move up in the money.

Depends.

What are your motives? To win or make money?

If its to make money/slide up the pay scale. Don't risk it with bigger stacks. Attack the short stacks. If your wrong against a big stack your out. Against a small stack then you've only made a mistake but are still alive.

To win?
Your in a coin flip. There is alot of hands you have dominated and at worse your in a conin flip. You have a big enough amount of chips to take the lead and put yourself in with a shout.

Depends how much that $200 meant but you seem happy with the 2nd place so the fold sounded good for you. This is a classic situation. One you should make your mind up on before the tourney starts.

Cobalt,

I think you made a smart decision, but I'm not sure - chip leader could conceivably have just about any two here, and you were getting almost 2-1 to call.

You said there was $200 difference between 2nd and 4th - what was the difference between 2nd and 1st? By folding, you will probably finish second (and almost certainly at least third); had you called and won, you would presumably have about a 50% chance at first (and been virtually guaranteed at least second).

First place: $600
Second place: $400
Fourth place: $200

I guess I was satisfied climbing up the pay scale at this point. And, despite being in terrible shape going into heads-up, I'm quite confident in my heads-up play...so I guess that's also why I delayed the confrontation.

Okay, if I make the following assumptions, which are obviously oversimplifications:

1. If you call, it will be a coinflip, on average.
2. If you call and win, you will finish either 1st or 2nd, with a 50% chance either way.
3. If you fold, you will finish 2nd.

Then if you call, your expectation (beyond the already guranteed 4th place money) is 0.5 * ($200 + 0.5 * $200) = $150

If you fold, your expectation is $200

So unless you think your are significantly likely to have him dominated if you call, it looks to me like a good fold.

I think the problem is your re-raise in the first place. Sure, you have AK offsuit on the button, but why raise if you are just going to fold to a re-raise from the big stack? You need to think about these things ahead of time, which would have saved you the 9000 in chips. You played it strong, which is great, but then you gave it up, which is terrible. Pick how you are going to play the hand throughout prior to risking ANY of your chips ahead of time, and you will be much happier in the long run. :wink:

I honestly didn't expect to be re-raised. Figured he'd throw away his trash hand or just call.

seeing how he raised with 8 6 i would take the chance that he' s overvauling a hand like AQ and move in on him. Yeah theres the chance you get 4th but I play to win. You keep playing to place you'll keep on being the loser that you are

He could just as easily be overvaluing something like 99 in this situation, and I really dont want to go all in with AK facing aggression like that. Good fold, live to fight another day.

Uhh...I was playing to win. I felt my best shot at winning was playing against the overvaluer heads-up. I play a lot of SNGs...and I rarely finish second.