2nd hand in a small tournament

[Jim T]

Tournament starts with 1500 stacks, blinds are 30-60. I don't know any of the 26 other players. On the first hand there is one caller in EP, folded to me in the middle, and I look down at AJ suited. I bet 200. It's folded to the small blind who thinks for a while and calls. Everyone else including EP limper folds. Flop comes Q high with 2 rags and only one of my suit. Small blind goes all in, and I have to fold.

2nd hand, it's folded to me and I look down at a pair of 9s. I raise it up to 180. It's folded to the same player, now on the button. He re-raises to 400 or 500, and it's folded back to me. What's the best play?

PS It's a satellite to a bigger tourney, and only the winner advances.

[rapidacid]

[ QUOTE ]
Tournament starts with 1500 stacks, blinds are 30-60. I don't know any of the 26 other players. On the first hand there is one caller in EP, folded to me in the middle, and I look down at AJ suited. I bet 200. It's folded to the small blind who thinks for a while and calls. Everyone else including EP limper folds. Flop comes Q high with 2 rags and only one of my suit. Small blind goes all in, and I have to fold.


[/ QUOTE ]

Don't raise this ... especially early in a tournament when people are all-in crazy ... you've already put in 15% of your stack with a non-premium hand

[ QUOTE ]

2nd hand, it's folded to me and I look down at a pair of 9s. I raise it up to 180. It's folded to the same player, now on the button. He re-raises to 400 or 500, and it's folded back to me. What's the best play?

PS It's a satellite to a bigger tourney, and only the winner advances.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wait for a better position ... 26 people is a really small tournament and you'll probably be unhappy if you call this

[flyingmoose]

Both hands look like pretty easy folds to me.

[schavuit]

Hand 1 is just fine I think.

Hand 2 is an easy fold normally, but since only the winner advances and villain has shown in the last hand that he is willing to overbet and get it all in fast, I'm kinda doubting. I think a stop and go could work here, but I would fold since we just started, and we have some time. Also, we haven't seen villain play enough hands to have a good read. What's the buy in?

[PhatPots]

Hand 1 you played correctly.

Hand 2 you fold given no reads. Most players will re-raise with a big pair or AK. So it is a coin flip or you are a big underdog. I don't mind a coin flip in a tournament where only the winner gets paid. But it is early, and this type of raise is more often a bigger pair. Fold