$50 Home Game: Bubble with an all-in.

[HubbleO]

I've played with a group 13 times (anywhere from 8 to 12 players) and to be frank there are a few ok players but most are pretty weak. I've cashed 6 of 13 times (3 of those were 1st place).

Last nights situation...Live 10 person $50 tournament pays top 3. We're down to 4 players. I am chip leader by about 3.5 to 1 against the second stack. Player to my right is all in for the small blind of 200, I'm in the big blind for 400 (I have probably 10,000 in front of me...20,000 is in play). I have KsTs, UTG folds, second stack calls and small blind is already all in. Folded player was the weakest of the four of us...other 2 are probably 2 of the better players in the group.

Flop is 2 spades all under T. I make a pot sized bet. other player folds. When I show my hand he was pretty upset I bet out into a dry pot with the small blind all in. To be honest I really wasn't thinking about that at the time and I said, "Yeah, my bad, I should have checked." The more I thought about it later though I don't think my play was so bad...With my stack I wasn't really afraid of the small blind trippling up to 600 and I was fairly sure my bet would take down the side pot.

Was it that bad a play to try steal that pot?

Result below....






Small blind had flopped 2 pair and turned the boat anyway. I went on to win the tourney, complaining player got second and the short stacked guy held on to take 3rd.

[_Towelie_]

I'd shove pre and punish the limper. As played it's not a terrible move IF it was done w/ the intention of pwning for another orbit. If not then I don't see why you'd do that.

[DevinLake]

Welcome to the forum. Please read the FAQ about posting hands. I've adjusted ur title to mean something.

You're play wasn't bad, but you lucked into it because you did not make it for the right reason.

On the bubble with a short stack, it is the big stacks job to punish the medium stacks. Your goal here is to accumulate a lot of chips off the players that rightfully should be trying to outlast the short stack to make the money.

So, without knowing stack sizes, you should probably shove preflop. If shoving is a huge overbet, like >20 bbs, then I'd still put in a solid raise of 4-5xbb.

As played, betting the flop isn't bad. But, it's to force the other player out of the pot and either win the pot your self or let the shorty double so that you can continue to abuse the medium stacks with your big stack.

this is what we like the call pwning the bubble and it is the best thing about sit n goes.

if you were a medium stack on the bubble here, this would be a poor play.