44 late in tourny with mid-large stack - blind steal??

[r8ed]

I was in 5k tourny last night with the 8th most chips out of 23 people left. I had 57k and the blinds were 6000/12000 (or something close). I had pocket 4's and figured taking 18k would get me on the final table. I thought for a while and then figured I would try to steal them. I was first to act so the blinds were coming to me next. The small blind called it with AT and I ended up all-in and lost when a 10 hit the board. Thinking back, I'm thinking I should have folded and waited for something better. I was ahead (barely) preflop.

What do you think? It was a freeroll by the way. I won $25 and then while the tourny was still going on I made another $75 on the cash tables, so I don't feel that bad. But I could have taken home $1250 if I won.

[JCooper]

Small pairs are not really something you want to get all your chips in with - even if you are lucky and get heads-up its almost guaranteed to be a race against their two over cards, and if you are up against another pair its going to be an overpair and a huge favorite against you.

Typically with these hands I limp or even make a small raise - if I don't hit trips on the flop its very easy to get away from this hand and when I do hit the trips I can make a lot of money. But that strategy doesn't really apply to this situation...it applies more to cash games or earlier in a tournament. Odds are 9:1 that I don't catch one of two 4s left on the flop, and then what can I do with this hand?

In first position in your tournment situation I'd probably fold this hand. Something else you'd need to describe about this situation, is the chip positions of the blinds. Some guy in two table SNG last night tried to steal in first position against me. I didn't have a real hand but I was priced in - more than half my stack was already on the table - I couldn't afford *not* to play, and it turns out he had complete junk anyway. He had no business trying to steal when it was obvious I would have to call with any two cards.

[aokrongly]

The main problem was position. When I saw the question about stealing I figured you for late position. From early position you're asking for trouble with 44. If you try to steal, anyone calling will either already have you beat or have 2 over cards. If you call and get raised, then what?

It's definately a late position move, but not from UTG.

[JCooper]

With the blinds at $12K and your stack at $57K, any steal attempt is going to commit you to the pot, no matter what your position. Is this really the hand you want to play for all your chips? If you have a really tight table image perhaps you could force some strong hands to fold from the blinds - and if the blinds have weak hands and your image is nominal then you'll still get a fold. And yes, a steal right here would really help you...if you don't get a hand and have to pay $18K in blinds you are going to be badly hurt.

But you don't want to see a call here - there is better than a 50% chance that a caller will destroy you, as you saw in your example.

What is a steal raise in this situation? $24K, $36K? Well once you have made that bet then all your money is going in the pot if your opponnent plays back at you.

Perhaps a better way to play with this (in late position) would be to limp with this hand and then go all in on the flop. Of course, if they bet out at you then you just fold it and you still live to fight another day.

[r8ed]

I can't stop thinking about that hand. What a horrible play it was on my part. I guess I learned from it. It was a freeroll anyway. I wouldn't do that in a real tourny.

One thing though, I thought I had a super-tight image as I did not try any blinds steals previously, and I only showed down the best hand with premium cards before this. Plus, since I was early position, I figured they would think I really did have a great hand. He took a huge chance with ATo but it paid off. I took a huge chance that did not pay off. I basicallly built my stack off pocket pairs and I guess I overplayed them this time.

I'm going to win that thing next month. Noble Poker has a 5k freeroll every month when you deposit during a certain time. Not bad. I deposit $50 and then take it out.

[JCooper]

The fact is, a lot of people don't really pay attention. In a freeroll tournament like that, maybe 1/4 of the people at the table would have any concept of how tight/loose you are, unless you are obviously a jackal. So don't count on people putting you down as a tight player.

[aokrongly]

Yep, I disregard my "table image" or only give it about 10% credence. Late in a tourney it doesn't seem to matter because there are too many other pressures and tactics going on with everyone at the table. People just ACT! They don't think as much. Plus, like was already said, maybe 2 out of 10 players even notice. Hell, even you said you were playing other tables. When people only look when it's their turn to act they have no idea what anyone's table image is. And with the turnover with online mtt, it just takes one new person at the table making a call.

Don't sweat it. I used to lose sleep over hands. I don't anymore. You do the best you can with the information and instincts you have. And you learn as you go.