Let's here from the critics...

[chardrian]

Game #942561895 - Tournament Playa - 50/100 No Limit Texas Hold'em -
2005/08/22-17:07:09.3 (CST)
Table "Playa 1" (MTT) -- Seat 3 is the button
Seat 1: player 1 (945 in chips)
Seat 2: tall_goofer (3,370 in chips)
Seat 3: scdupu (1,480 in chips)
Seat 4: player 2 (2,870 in chips)
Seat 6: player 3 (1,350 in chips)
Seat 7: GolferErm (785 in chips)
Seat 8: lowzy (3,340 in chips)
Seat 9: jimmykid79 (1,420 in chips)
Seat 10: sozekeyser (2,730 in chips)
player 2: Post Small Blind (50)
player 3: Post Big Blind (100)
Dealing...
player 1 [Ac] [Tc]
player 2 [8s] [8h]
player 3 [Ad] [Qc]
GolferErm: Fold
lowzy : Fold
jimmykid79: Call (100)
sozekeyser: Fold
player 1: Call (100)
tall_goofer: Fold
scdupu : Fold
player 2: Raise (360)
player 3: Raises all-in (1,250)
jimmykid79: Fold
player 1: Call All-in (845)
player 2: Call (940)

Who played this hand well?

Who played this hand poorly?

Why?

[Humphrind]

Looks like everyone played it well. But player 2 is a close call.

If there was anything I'd have done differently, it's fold 88 after 2 all-ins in front of me.

With less than 10 BB, I'd feel that ATs is good enough to push my last chunk of money.

With AQo, I'd push into that pot and hopefully take it down, but I would have pushed less chips.

With a big stack and a pocket pair, I mayfeel that my hand is worthy of the gamble and call. But once that 2nd person called the all-in I probably would have folded.

[Miffed22001]

Even if im short stacked i dont want to push in even with ATs if there is what seems a geniune hand behind me. If it looks like some one is stealing then yes but here no. Imo ATs should fold, id rather blind out than commit knowing im almost inevitably behind preflop.
With 88 i want to be going over the top here. Therefore 88 should push if he wants to do anything, but here i'd call and when the raise comes from behind i call or maybe push DEPENDING on how the earlier caller plays it. There isnt imo a lot of need for player 2 to gamble here with 30~bbs. I think this can be folded here.
Player 3 should definatly go over the top here both stack-wise and hand-wise.
Therefore i think player 3 plays it pretty well, player 1 is awful and player 2 is marginal.
Please feel free to criticise.

(humph i love the avatar. Always makes me smile even when im on tilt!)

[chardrian]

Here's my take (for what it is worth)...

I think player 1 shoulda pushed as his first move instead of limp. His call after a raise and an all-in was marginal but defendable after he screwed up by just limping.

Player 2's raise was fine he was hoping to isolate player 1 I think, but when player 3 pushed and player 1 called, his call was also marginal. He can double up or lose half his stack in what is at best a 45% shot to win (like this hand) and most probably either dominated against a higher pocket pair (20% shot to win) or against 4 overs (33%). I think I like the fold there.

Player 3 should have either folded or pushed. I like the push.

[Miffed22001]

Here's my take (for what it is worth)...

I think player 1 shoulda pushed as his first move instead of limp. His call after a raise and an all-in was marginal but defendable after he screwed up by just limping.

Player 2's raise was fine he was hoping to isolate player 1 I think, but when player 3 pushed and player 1 called, his call was also marginal. He can double up or lose half his stack in what is at best a 45% shot to win (like this hand) and most probably either dominated against a higher pocket pair (20% shot to win) or against 4 overs (33%). I think I like the fold there.

Player 3 should have either folded or pushed. I like the push.

Certainly if player 1 is going to play he needs to push. agreed.
player 2 is therefore in an uneasy position. He has to hope nothing comes behind him if the early push occurs. He doesnt imo need to gambOOl here unless he wants to take the risk of losing half his stack for a potential double up and chip lead at the table (possibly there is a case here for that depends how early this is, id be tempted quite early on) player 3 has to push in all situations imo regardless of pushers infront of him.

[doubledown]

Yup, with 88 in this situation it's all or nothing. I also agree that a A 10 is a pretty weak hand. AQ I would probably call being that I would have the player in this situation on anything from 6 6 to 10 10. Typically people try to manuever a little more with JJ or higher.

[Humphrind]

Yup, with 88 in this situation it's all or nothing.

Everyone seems to be leaving out my main point. With 88 it's PUSH all-in or nothing, not CALL all-in. And especially not with 2 all-ins in front of you.

[doubledown]

After reading the scenario again, I see your point. He raised a $100 bet by $260. That's not going to scare anyone away. You're absolutely right, he shouldn't be betting for a call here. His tact should be to take down the pot.

[chardrian]

Ok folks - in case you hadn't guessed it, I was player 3.

Player 2 (88) screwed up becuase he was SB, first to act everyhand from this point on. However, with his stack compared to the blinds, there is no way he should be pushing right there. I like a raise to between 400-500 to (hopefully) scare the limpers out and give yourself room to fold if need be. With two all-ins in front of him, I think his CALL was just bad bad bad.

AQ played it well