Hypothetical would you rather...?

[Sherman]

Please include why after voting.


Edit: Please assume you have enough BB's to play poker, etc.

[JavaNut]

Down 2-1 is very even anyway, a little luck and you are ahead.

[illini43]

HU

I'm guaranteed 2nd place money. I also feel I can play a short stack better. I think I would take the 2nd money guaranteed with only being a double-up away from being a 2:1 chip leader.

This is probably -EV, but I would be most comfortable playing this way. Look at it this way, if its even 3-handed, and the other two get all-in, you are essentially producing the same situation (down 2:1 heads-up). I think I would pass on a little of the equity I might have against 2 solid players if I was guaranteed 2nd at only a 2:1 advantage.

My decision is easier if I'm playing against two great players. It gets a little harder if I'm up against two morons, in which case I should be able to come back even though I'm down in chips.

[MJBuddy]

3-way. I'm aggressive as hell and I make most of my profit when I can just ream into my villains and make them make bad decisions for lots of chips.

And if it's 3-handed and the other two get all-in, I'm hoping I've built up a stack so that, at best, we're even HU.

[SonofDjugashvili]

[ QUOTE ]
HU

I'm guaranteed 2nd place money. I also feel I can play a short stack better. I think I would take the 2nd money guaranteed with only being a double-up away from being a 2:1 chip leader.

This is probably -EV, but I would be most comfortable playing this way. Look at it this way, if its even 3-handed, and the other two get all-in, you are essentially producing the same situation (down 2:1 heads-up). I think I would pass on a little of the equity I might have against 2 solid players if I was guaranteed 2nd at only a 2:1 advantage.

My decision is easier if I'm playing against two great players. It gets a little harder if I'm up against two morons, in which case I should be able to come back even though I'm down in chips.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT. Exactly my thoughts - I'll take guaranteed 2nd every time and 2:1 HU is not that big of a disadvantage.

[seke2]

Uhm, okay, so lets assume its the WSOP final 3 payout structure, approximated.

1st: 8.25m
2nd: 4.85m
3rd: 3m

So the total $ is 16.1m

If you are 3-handed, even stacks, every player should have equity $ equity, right? So you'd have like 5.36m equity in this spot.

If you are 2-handed down 2:1, the remaining prizepool is 13.1m. You are guaranteed 4.85m and you have a 1/3 chance of 3.4m more, so your equity is like, what, 5.98m. Sounds better to me.


Or if you use a Stars 20/180 structure:
1st: $1080
2nd: $720
3rd: $432

Total pool left: $2232

3-handed even stacks: $744 equity
2-handed, 1/3 chance of winning: $840 equity

Not sure what sort of non-math argument can overcome that large of an equity differnce...

[Dunkman]

That, plus people are just really bad HU. Of course, I'm probably one of those people who are really bad HU, so idk how much it helps me.

[Sherman]

[ QUOTE ]
Uhm, okay, so lets assume its the WSOP final 3 payout structure, approximated.

1st: 8.25m
2nd: 4.85m
3rd: 3m

So the total $ is 16.1m

If you are 3-handed, even stacks, every player should have equity $ equity, right? So you'd have like 5.36m equity in this spot.

If you are 2-handed down 2:1, the remaining prizepool is 13.1m. You are guaranteed 4.85m and you have a 1/3 chance of 3.4m more, so your equity is like, what, 5.98m. Sounds better to me.


Or if you use a Stars 20/180 structure:
1st: $1080
2nd: $720
3rd: $432

Total pool left: $2232

3-handed even stacks: $744 equity
2-handed, 1/3 chance of winning: $840 equity

Not sure what sort of non-math argument can overcome that large of an equity differnce...

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course Dan would do the math. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I suppose I should have said, assume you only care about winning. Not about the $. Would you rather be HU down 2:1 or 3-handed with even stacks.

[seke2]

I'd still rather be HU. Short-handed play is often a lot about luck and who gets the better cards, so the less players I have to outlast the better. And obv it would also depend on the opponents. I'd rather be 3-handed against 2 donks than HU against a pro.

[Gar Pike]

Leaving out the prize structure, I think I'd rather be 3-way with even stacks. There's a better than 0% chance I'll wind up HU and not be down 2-1.

Except that we can't really leave out the money, can we?

Regards

Gar