All-in check-raise by calling station just inside the money

[Chipless Wonder]

Last night Dave and I played a few online tournaments together. It was a brainstorming session, and allowed us to help each other with our games. We played three 45 and one 90-person games, all two at a time. Our finishes were 1st, 5th, 5th and 46th. We invested $104 and cashed for $540. Not a bad performance at all, but just imagine what Dave could do by himself if I wasn't there to hold him back.

In the game where Dave took the lead toward the end, he won first place pretty easily. In another game where I took the lead toward the end things didn't go so well. I might not have all the details exactly right, but these should be pretty close...

We were five-handed in a 45-person game, so we were just inside the money. We were the short-stack because I had bluffed away half our chips a few hands earlier. Average stack was 13,500 and we had ~ 9,000 left with blinds of 400/800.

It folded to us on the button and we raised to 2,400 with K-7 suited and got smooth called by the calling station in the big blind. There were ~ 5,200 chips in the pot and we had ~ 6,800 back. Flop came something like Q-7-3 with 2 spades, the big blind check raised us all-in, and we called with middle pair king kicker. He had middle pair, flush draw (6-7).

This hand upset me for a few reasons.

First, I'm still mad at myself for bluffing away half of our chips just a few hands before. None of our four remaining opponents was very good, and I believe we could have finished first or second if I had a little more self-control.

Second, I don't know why I didn't raise all-in pre-flop. Making a normal sized raise into a calling station with lots of chips when I only have nine big blinds in my stack was just stupid.

Third, I think we should have pushed all-in post-flop instead of pricing ourselves into calling his all-in check-raise. He made it impossible for us to fold, when we could have made it possible for him to fold.

Open for criticism.

[D-Nut]

Second, I don't know why I didn't raise all-in pre-flop. Making a normal sized raise into a calling station with lots of chips when I only have nine big blinds in my stack was just stupid.

I knew we were going to be a touch blurry on the details here.....but I think we HAD to have more chips to start this hand. Not a chance we would have made a standard raise with 12BB. I'm certain that it would have to be raise or fold for us at that point. I may be completely wrong and maybe we were both just in donk mode, but we had been in shove mode for quite some time in that last tourney, so I'd question our decision if we thought we were OK to start making standard raises.

But anyways......I do recall us betting 3000 into the flop after he checked and he shoved in 7000-ish on top for a total shove of just over 10K. If we were truly contemplating a fold here, we would have only about 4000 left, and I know that neither one of us was going to do that, especially since we were already in the money, and we were both fairly confident in our read that this player shoved any and all draws, including gutshots.

I guess super long story short.....and to save face .....I think we started the hand with about 12K.

At least it sounds better right? LOL

[otbdave]

Haha, definately a big difference either way.

With about 10BB, (12 would qualify) I am just pushing K high preflop.

As for the postflop play, I don't think it entirely matters whether you shove here or obviously commit yourself. With both things being held equally to be called, I guess you would have to prefer pushing as you do not have any reason to want a call here.

Therefore pushing would be slightly preferred to commiting yourself.