Donk Play In Your Opinion?

[Rogue 0]

It's late in the first hour of a tournament on Full Tilt, and the blinds are at 50/100. I had just been moved to the table 4 or 5 hands previous, and I don't have a lot of info on the other players. I had about 1650 in chips when I get 9/9 in middle position. UTG+1 calls the BB. I call (probably a mistake, but I hoped to take a look at a cheap flop before making a decision that could cost me my tournament life). Everyone folds to the SB, who raises to 750. BB immediately calls and UTG+1 folds. SB and BB both have around 8K in chips. The BB quick call scared me a little bit, but I felt like that there was a good possibility that the SB and BB could have held each other's outs. The pot pre-flop alone was enough to double me up, and I really didn't think calling here was an option at all. I felt like it was an all-in or fold situation. I didn't have much fold equity, and I was fairly certain that I would be called by at least one of them. I decided it was a good time to either bust out or accumulate some chips, so I pushed. I'll post the results after a few replies. Was this a donk play or did I make the right decision? Thanks in advance to those who take the time to reply!

[shpaget 0]

It's late in the first hour of a tournament on Full Tilt, and the blinds are at 50/100. I had just been moved to the table 4 or 5 hands previous, and I don't have a lot of info on the other players. I had about 1650 in chips when I get 9/9 in middle position. UTG+1 calls the BB. I call (probably a mistake, but I hoped to take a look at a cheap flop before making a decision that could cost me my tournament life). Everyone folds to the SB, who raises to 750. BB immediately calls and UTG+1 folds. SB and BB both have around 8K in chips. The BB quick call scared me a little bit, but I felt like that there was a good possibility that the SB and BB could have held each other's outs. The pot pre-flop alone was enough to double me up, and I really didn't think calling here was an option at all. I felt like it was an all-in or fold situation. I didn't have much fold equity, and I was fairly certain that I would be called by at least one of them. I decided it was a good time to either bust out or accumulate some chips, so I pushed. I'll post the results after a few replies. Was this a donk play or did I make the right decision? Thanks in advance to those who take the time to reply!

Tough situation - I don't have a problem pushing here if I'm certain to be against a coin flip, or, as you said, even better, facing guys who have outs that cancel each other.I do, however, think that AK is the absolute worst hand that SB does this with, and I won't be surprised to see him with a bigger pair.BB's call bugs me, and I'm inclined to think he may have a big pair - like JJ, and just wants to make sure an overcard doesn't want to hit the flop.

[cubbybri 0]

I would have raised instead of called. You have the 6th best hand. You need to knock out the A rags and KT that may be behind you. If you than have the SB raise and BB quickly call you can be comfortable throwing away. If only one stays in you may have to decide if you'll push. If a reraise and then a call you can be pretty sure you're beat with either 4 overcard, or a higher pocket pair and overcards on you.Or maybe they both fold as they do not know how you play as well.Raising and then folding would hurt but would not put you in desperation mode yet.I like you taking the lead but I'm sure there will be differing opinions on this one.2 cents.

[gobears 0]

I'm pushing preflop as I either want to take the pot or be isolated against one other player. I think that calling preflop after one limper is just inviting one of the big stacks to come in with a raise. Now you have both the SB and BB in the pot who aren't going to fold to your push.I wouldn't be in your situation but I would gamble and go for the triple up. You're far from the money and below the average stack. You're obviously hoping that neither villain has an overpair and that they both have overcards (hopefully the same ones!).

[rog 0]

I'm no expert, but here's my assessment:The donk play was limping 99 at this stage in a tourney. Limping pairs like 99 works fine with deep stacks where you can play multi-way for set value. Even then 99 is almost too big to want to do that. By not raising, you have no idea where you're at, and not enough stack to find out. Overcards flop something like 80% of the time, so this hand is going to be uncomfortable on every street most likely. No fold equity, no visibility. Coin flip at best. Possibly drawing to 2 outs. M is still around 10 if you fold. I'd fold this, kick myself for being passive preflop, and wait for a better spot.

[Rogue 0]

I'm no expert, but here's my assessment:The donk play was limping 99 at this stage in a tourney. Limping pairs like 99 works fine with deep stacks where you can play multi-way for set value. Even then 99 is almost too big to want to do that. By not raising, you have no idea where you're at, and not enough stack to find out. Overcards flop something like 80% of the time, so this hand is going to be uncomfortable on every street most likely. No fold equity, no visibility. Coin flip at best. Possibly drawing to 2 outs. M is still around 10 if you fold. I'd fold this, kick myself for being passive preflop, and wait for a better spot.

I agree that I should've have raised pre-flop in that situation, but I didn't and, more than likely, I would've folded on the flop to a bet had I been just called by both of the blinds (there were 2 overs on the flop and I would have had to committ to my 9's or folded and I know I would have folded). After my push, the small blind re-raised all-in at which point I figured I was up against QQ or JJ and a big dog in the hand. The BB folded, which was the best possible scenario for me. The SB showed AJo. To be honest, I was suprised that he would push with that holding with the BB left to act, but I was happy about it. Anyway, he hit a J on the flop, but I rivered a 9 to win the hand with a set. I felt pretty good about my decision at the time and I wouldn't have been upset had I lost, but he proceeded to tell me what a donk I was for compromising my entire stack in a hand that was becoming a big pot before the flop. The good thing is I got moved to another table, yet again, within the next few hands and I didn't have to listen to it for very long. The bad thing was that I started second-guessing myself about my decision to push. I just wanted everyone's opinion on the situation, so I could take it into consideration the next time I'm faced with the same thing. Anyway thanks for all the replies and feel free to add anything else that you think I should have considered in that situation.

[PotemkinCity 1]

id say the donk move was raising to 750 (although by limping in you showed weakness so in a way, i understand) with a lousy Ace Jack off. why do players give this hand, AJ so much credit? It is beyond me and i like your play, you were ahead and you had a good read on him and you made the right decision. bravo. I'd hate to see AJ win that hand.**in a tourney yesterday, early in the second blind rounds i saw a 5 way all in that included 3 AJ offs 66 and KK, everyoine had generally the same ammount of chips. 66 pushed, kk called and then the 3 AJ's all called quicker than pigs at feeding time.

[Vick12 0]

HeyI agree...your calling is a mistake. If your 1st instinct on the hand is to see a relatively cheap flop and then get a massive raise, I'd say fold to the raise. It depends on how tight you are or if you like to gamble a bit. If you weren't seeing the 99 and thinking "ooh..I want to mix it up" and instead just hoped to flop a cheap set, you still have 1500 chips if you fold which isn't that much different than 1600 in my opinion. I too would have raised the limper to 400-500 and then hope i was in a coin flip if I do indeed get reraised. In this spot i am not sure the AJ plays his hand that way if you take the lead. But then again i am rarely surprised at the junk i see online at times.

id say the donk move was raising to 750 (although by limping in you showed weakness so in a way, i understand) with a lousy Ace Jack off. why do players give this hand, AJ so much credit? It is beyond me and i like your play, you were ahead and you had a good read on him and you made the right decision. bravo. I'd hate to see AJ win that hand.**in a tourney yesterday, early in the second blind rounds i saw a 5 way all in that included 3 AJ offs 66 and KK, everyoine had generally the same ammount of chips. 66 pushed, kk called and then the 3 AJ's all called quicker than pigs at feeding time.

Your honor I offer exhibit A...^^^^^^^

[Bubba83 0]

FOLD.You are either beat by a bigger pocket pair here or against more than 2 overcards if they both call a ton of the time.Assuming the initial raiser doesn't push all-in to isolate, the other guy who cold called is getting more than enough odds to call with anything.I think i've said this a lot of times now, but I'll say it again. You limped in with 99 to try and spike a set on the flop for cheap, I don't mind this play here. The reason you did not raise preflop was because you didn't want to play for your tournament life here, so don't... If you had a plan for the hand, don't abandon it.

[amarillotg 0]

a lot of people are advocating a raise pre-flop to isolate the limper.my question is, would we not be better pushing or folding in this spot?by simply raising with a pair of 99's we are setting ourselves up to be outplayed if overcards flop. a standard raise in this case means we are putting in about 25% of our stack. if we get re-raised all-in by one of the larger stacks i think we will have to call.in this example say the hand plays out as follows.utg - limps for t100hero - raises to t400sb - moves all-in for t8k (actually only for our t1250 remaining)bb - foldsutg - foldsthe pot is laying us about 1.8-1 (t2250 - t1250)if we put the sb on a range of 88+,AQs+,AQo+ we are only about a 3-2 dog or 1.5-1.we have to make this call.if we push in this spot (even though our M is 11) we negate our positional disadvantage against any lp callers, we can't be outplayed if overcards flop and we gain a ton of fold equity.i like pushing in this spot but im interested in what you guys think.tg

[copernicus 0]

Your almost certainly in a coin flip one way or the other. With your stack and so far from the money I would take the chance and move on to the next one if I lose.

[macphec 0]

I would push with 99 after the 1st limper with your stack (M of 11).As played I'd probably get it in as well but folding is just as good.