Big Decision - Big Tournament - AK vs ?

[Brian McDonald]

Big Tournament - Fridays Special on Party, 2 hours 45 minutes in, I have 24,000 in chips and the average is 19,000.There are 204 players left from a starting field of 972 and I am the SB ($300) with Ah Kh.It gets checked around to the button who goes all-in and he just has me covered.Prizes are paid to the final 100 players with 100th on $291.60 & 1st place is $42,768.WHAT DO YOU DO?

[cameronw01]

Well a read would really help, but without one call in a heart-beat. I take it you're not the type of player to limp into the money?

[Andrew LeRoy]

Blinds are 600/300Instafold.

[Andrew LeRoy]

Blinds are 600/300Instafold.

[cameronw01]

Ok, in that case type 'gamboooool' in the chatbox, then call.

[Brian McDonald]

cameronw,At that stage (204 players left) I'm not even thinking about the prizemoney, but more about staying alive and building a stack to get to the prizemoney.What I was thinking about, don't blow this good start & good position on a possible coin flip situation.It wasn't the time for him to be stealing because everybody is playing super tight not wanting to miss the cash, so I put him down as some kind of pair in the 77 - JJ range.So I grabbed the nearest chicken mask I could find and decided to fold and look for a better situation down the track.EVENTUALLY I found it.103 players left, 3 to the money, I have 39k, average is 47k. Blinds are $1k / $2k and I'm in LP with QQ.2 limpers, I raise to $7777. The SB who was the chip leader at the table with over 100k has had a couple of setbacks and is down to 78k, goes all-in.NOW I'm thinking FOLD, cruise into the money and go from there. Then I start thinking that for the last 2 weeks I've been making the money in these tournaments only to run out of steam before the real cash gets handed out.NOW what do I do?

[cameronw01]

After posting I decided to rail you, and yeah, ouch. So my guess would be break mouse?"It wasn't the time for him to be stealing because everybody is playing super tight not wanting to miss the cash, so I put him down as some kind of pair in the 77 - JJ range."With this read I can consider the fold, but I was under the impression Supers become steal-fests at about this point as people try to make the money. Is this incorrect?

[DamienCarroll]

If i am in a big tournament i am there to get deep in the money, not to make the money, however it depends on certain things.I wouldinstant call with the AKs hand, i think you are a coin flip at worst if not a huge favorite.QQ hand i am allin as well, but i raise alot more preflop, with two limpers, there is $7k in the pot, and you only have $37K, i am making it $12K at least, you do not want a big stack calling with some garbage like AJ.try and take it down then and there

[EurekaKid]

Fold, regardless of read I think, you simply don't need to risk that much. AK can easily be busted by 25o, you are a solid player, you can outplay guys if you stay alive, no point risking an all-in.

[Brian McDonald]

I'm not worried too much with my Ah Kh play. I've lost too many times with AK not to consider them as a lock.What I'm not too sure about is the QQ all-in play. This is one position where I can easily dog it and get some easy cash, albeit probably not a major payout.However I was thinking along the lines, if I fold this hand, that will be an Ah Kh AND QQ I'll have folded. What am I waiting for if not these kind of hands?I understand all the logic of getting into the cash first and working your way up from there and I will do that 99% of the time, but, for some reason I decided against it this time to my detriment.Upon reflection, I feel I may have been wrong here. If my chip count was a lot lower, I'm looking for places to get involved, but when I already have a reasonable stack, I should be looking for reasons not to jeopardise my chances.Still, I feel there are arguments both for & against both plays here with the QQ and it can sometimes come down to how you feel the table has been playing at the time.I'm a little annoyed about bombing out of the tournament but not so upset about the play especially when I saw what he raised with.