Defending the small blind on a bubble deep in the Sunday Million

Game type: Poker Stars Sunday Million NL Hold’em tournament
Your image: Aggressive
Stage of tourney: 29 of 1700+ remain, there’s a money jump of 2k at 27th.
Avg stack: About 700k
Misc notes:
Your hand: K♣J♠

This hand is taken from actual game play in the Poker Stars Sunday Million on 3-25. The buy in for this tournament was $1,000.

The setup: You’ve been on a bit of a roller coaster the last few hands. You started the orbit at about 400k, then lost nearly half of your stack to the player to your right when your AQ ran into his AK. A few hands later, you doubled up with AA when the player two to your right called your PF all in re-raise.

About 5 hands have passed since you showed down AA. The button has been a fairly active preflop raiser, but the last time he raised he showed down AK.

This hand, the table folds around to the button, who makes a standard raise. The current payout is over 5k; when you lose two more players it jumps to over 7k.

What’s your play with KJo?

6 COMMENTS (Jump to comment form)

matt tag

I voted raise small – but that was before I calculated my M, which is under 4 here. That’s all-in or fold time. I agree it’s a close call btw folding and going to war w. KJo. I would probably fold – there’s time to look for something better.

[Reply]

Cristiano

It is indeed a tuff spot, but i dont see it as an all-in/fold situation. By calling i would probably give up the hand after the flop, since neither K nor J showed up (and be loosing if the J hit). But at this point of the tournament it might not be such a bad call, since i would not be too far behind even if i lost that 72K.
Calling may not be the strongest play here (I believe folding is better); but I don’t see it as bad play either.

[Reply]

Kevin

Calling is a bad option imo, because A, you have no idea what BB has and will do, and B look at what actually happened, ur pretty screwed on that flop..and likely being pushed out.. especially when the raiser has found QQ.

Calling seems desperate to me, it invites a raise after the flop hits no matter what the Button has or whatever the flop is. Sure you could spike a good flop..but its unlikely.

Folding is a fine option here, nothing wrong with it. Pushing all in is also a fine option…but calling is Imo a bad move.. ur dreaming of a flop, and if it doesnt hit youve lost a good amount of chips.

[Reply]

kenneth

I would fold without hesitation. On the next hand, I will have the button and a full orbit to find a better spot. The bubble aspect works in my favor, should I decide to blind-steal (on the next few hands), or if I find a real, raising hand.

Fold!

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Anonymous

FOLD – UTG will be in trouble on the next hand, you will be button. You will have your chance. The equity you gain versus what you lose is not great here.

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Drooo82

Easy fold, even if he’s got Ace 10 we are behind. Unless the blind is bigger this is a shove, but for now we can wait a better spot.

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