Noob in trouble: Stack size effect on pot odds decision in tourney

BermudaDude · #1 10-29-2007, 06:24 PM

When playing in freeroll MTT's, a problem I frequently encounter is when, how and how much your "tournament situation" (stack size compared to the average stack and bubble, pre-bubble or post-bubble) should affect decisions involving pot odds.

Before the hand below I had approximately 2.3 times the average stack very early in the tournament. 4327 players started with t1500. Around 2600 players remaining, top 55 getting "paid" [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Hero has played tight all the time at the table, played no hands from EP except checking in the BB and played only big hands in MP.

UTG and the button had played many hands in general. UTG had gone all in twice in a row before this hand (everybody folded). UTG+1 had folded or only called limpers for the last 6 or 7 hands and then folded pre-flop.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t30 (9 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Button (t1340)
SB (t1320)
Hero (t5675)
UTG (t2760)
UTG+1 (t1410)
MP1 (t1320)
MP2 (t2990)
MP3 (t1335)
CO (t1275)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
UTG calls t30, UTG+1 calls t30, 1 fold, MP2 calls t30, 2 folds, Button calls t30, 1 fold, Hero checks.

Flop: (t165) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (5 players)
Hero bets t90, UTG raises to t2730, UTG+1 calls t1380 (All-In), MP2 folds, Button calls t1310 (All-In), Hero to act

My own thoughts were something like the following:

Hey Dude wake up, clear call. You just need to win this somewhere around 3/10 to 1/3 of the times and look at all those outs: 9's and 4's. That ought to be enough, eh ? Well, it's close. And even so, you have a nice stack. But is that 2.3 times average stack really worth much this early on ? Ooops, two diamonds out there, so better not count 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] as an out. Could someone else be on a straight draw as well ? And even the bigger one ? These guys raise preflop with almost any pair and they didn't raise, so why are they going all in on this board? Definately someone has a [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]-draw. How many outs was that ? At most 7 and that's without discounting for possible straights. But it is a possibility for doubling up... Hmm, I sure wish I knew how to think about the equity of t1000 at this point in the tourney. How about that UTG-guy ? Going all in the 2 hands before this one !? Pfh... Surely he is just crazy. On the other hand. This time I bet out postflop and I have been tight, so he must know I have something. Or perhaps he just felt that with my not so big bet (right size indications, please ?) I was weak and with his previous all-in and steal the blinds success... Ooops, used 15 secs of the bank already...

A little more mental babbling before I made my decision.

What parameters would you consider and how would they influence your final decision ?
I am particularly interested in, if, how, how much and why Hero's stack size compared to the average stack size in the tournament affects your decision.