Live Multi - should hero make the call?

[JimGil]

Live tournament $40+$10 – started with about 90 people, down to about 45 or so. Top 10 pay. Average stack is ~10,000. The blinds are 400-800.

Hero’s stack is $20,000 and is UTG with KQ suited.

Hero raises to $2,400.

UTG+1 (Above avg. stack ~13,000) calls

UTG+2 (avg stack) calls

MP1 raises all in - 9,900 – the read I had here was he had a weak holding – he was making a move.

MP2 calls allin for about 3,000.

CO folds

Button calls – he also has about 10,000 left after the call. He recently arrived at the table and I have no reads.

Blinds fold

So now the pot is over 30,000 and its ~7,000 more to call.

Hero???

[registrar]

Pot odds dictate that you do, your hand plays well multiway and you'll be left with an average stack assuming that the flop is a nightmare and you're obliged to fold. Call.

[AlphaWice]

Mostly depends on read of button. If you read him for a huge hand, you have to lay it down even with HUGE potodds, because it's implied that your whole stack is going in on the flop most likely anyways. Basically it comes down to, if you hit K or Q do you think its good?

[Sam T.]

I know you are getting rediculous pot odds at this point, but with a mediocre hand (which I would usually dump pre-flop unless the table has been pretty tight) against 8 kajillion players, I'm laying it down. Why?

1. Your read could be wrong. Unless you've been a bully, and you know this guy is capable of a squeeze play (most are not), I'm not convinced you're not up against a real hand. (I'm an on-line donk.)

2. You aren't closing the action. If you call, the other two players will themselves be getting rediculous odds to call, and if they decide to play they may push. Next thing you know, you're putting in another 10k, again because of the silly odds.

Now, if you want to get creative, push here. That will absolutely lose the first two cold-callers, and quite probably the button as well. Yes, KQ is hardly a monster three handed, but with a ton of dead money it's playable. (And Shania would love it.)

Sam

[registrar]

Initially I agreed with this assessment but I'm not sure.
The two flat callers behind can go all in and I'm not too worried. The pot will then be massive and I will still have a reasonable stack, a little below average. The button is the worry but what's in it for him to get the rest of our chips in, when he can just call and look at the flop? If he had a massive pre-flop hand like AA or KK he would surely have already raised all in to narrow the field. He's not going to do it now, whether the flat callers call the all in or not.
I don't think a fold is wrong (as I don't play many B&M tournies I am more survivalist when I do so, to be honest, I probably would fold - it's quite a long journey for me) but I think the best play is to call. The worst I think will happen is that you have to fold to an all in raise from the button on the flop but I don't think button has any reason to go all in before the flop and will only do so after the flop if he is pretty certain he's ahead (he knows/should believe you'll call bceause of pot odds).

[Indiana]

I push here. I was in this situation last night and I folded like you prolly did. I had 33 about 6 guys were all in and I laid it down. Flop brought a 3 and I almost cried. I would have sextupled up (???) and won the dam thing. What happened is that I was forced to take a stand later with a worse situation and I didn't even cash. Let's face it, you gotta get lucky to win a MTT and getting 4-5:1 odds or better is a great place to gamble. Stop trying to wait for a perfect situation and give her a go.

Indy

[Boxman]

I think this is one of those hands that will either make or break your tourney, depending on the flop hitting you hard. Calling half you stack basically pot commits you. And there are still 2 players yet to act. If UTG+1 pushes, you are stuck to call another t5000.

My gut instinct says to lay this one down and wait for a better oppourtunity. There’s a good possibility you are dominated (AK/AQ) by at least one of the other players. There are probably at least one of two pp’s looking to hit their set. This means you need catch your straight or flush.

As others have noted, KQs plays well multiway, and your certainly getting the odds to call. But I think I’d rather see the flop as cheaply as possible and this is costing too much.

John

[JimGil]

Well, I ended up calling the raise as did the player on my left!

The flop came rags and the button pushed (big surprise).

Pot odds say I should call my last 10K, but I folded to his bet and he took the pot down with AA. The original raiser showed KJo.

The reason I called was I figured I had the odds - and I'd be well set up to win; but I think a fold was probably correct. I could have used my ~17.5K to push around some of the smaller stacks and pick up the blinds.

Thanks for the replies.