what would you do in this situation?

[gm269 0]

I was playing in a 150 person tournament in AC today. The buy-in was 120. There were 150 people and the tournament paid the top 18.We were down to 20 people on 2 tables and playing hand by hand. So there was no stalling to try to get into the money (a tactic that I really dispise). I had been doing well but the cards were very cold for the last 45 minutes and the blinds were eating me alive. One more player got knocked out so we were down to 19 and the following situation came up.The blinds are 4000-2000 with a 500 ante. I had 8,500 in chips. I am in the big blind so I am already in for 4,500 leaving me 4000. A player in middle position raises to 8000 and the button calls. I look down at pocket 2's and decide to call all-in.The flop is K-6-8, no help on the turn and the river and I lose to the button who help Q-Q (I never saw what the original raiser had). So I am eliminated in 19th, one off the money.A friend of mine argued that I should have folded and tried to hang in for the money, but I felt with 27000 (6000 in blinds, 5000 in antes and 16000 from the betting in front of me) and just 4000 more to call, I had to go in with my two's.So my question is go all-in here, or try to just make to cash? Any input would be appeciated.

[Emptyeye 0]

Yikes, you're really stuck between a rock and a hard place here.Obviously, I try to avoid calling off all my chips with 22 if it can be helped.However, you're already in the pot for over half your stack due to the blinds. If you fold here, you're in for half your stack again on the next hand (2500 from 4000 leaves you 1500), and if you fold THAT, you've got two more hands--the third will literally force you all-in with any two cards you happen to be holding, and even if you win that, you're basically back to where you would be if you fold the deuces. So unless someone else was on an even shorter stack than you, I agree with the call. It's really not a call I'd like to make, but a pocket pair, even a small one like deuces, is probably the best thing I'll see over the next ive or so hands.

[Greentvdinner 0]

A pair of twos is very weak to be putting your whole tourney on the line for. If you had 52 in the hole and the flop gave you a pair of twos you wouldn't go all in on that. Then why do it preflop. A pair of twos is great if the cost of seeing a flop is cheap and you catch on the flop and you have position. Otherwise, nix it everytime.Yes you needed to do something soon but look for a better hand with greater possibilities. KJ, 89sooted, Ax are worth considering.I would also try to isolate more. Even pocket twos can beat AK but if it is also going against QJ or more then you really only have two outs to most of the deck. Not to say you were totally wrong as you were allin on the next hand either way but with two callers, I probably would have folded.

[Scotty Web 0]

Well thats really a tough place to be in. You have to figure that everyone has at least two over cards on you and possibly that you are a four to one dog. At the same time you are gettign near the felt and next hand will chop you in half again. You are getting your money in there with good pot odds and a chance to triple up if you win. I guess I would have to know what the next shortest stack was and what position he was in getting towards the blinds. Since it is hand for hand play its tough to call, of course I don't want to be all in with 22 if possible. Tough one. Been in the same kind of spots before and they are about a 50/50 shot.

[gm269 0]

Thanks for the input. I think I definately was the shortest stack at that that point, and I really looked at it as an automatic call. I guess I'm just trying to determine if laying it down was in fact a viable option.

[troutsmart 0]

When play gets hand for hand, it can take some time for those last players to vanish. I'm sorry that had to be you. However, I say your call was correct. Let's look at the math.We'll use your number of 27000.The pot is laying you 6.75 to 1. That is a tremendous discount and makes calling with practically any hand correct. You could have 72 os and practically make this call. The preflop odds of winning the hand. A few different scenarios.QQ 44.3%AKs 39.4% Just for example purposes. We know they didn't have it.22 16.4% 5.1 to 1 oddsQQ 19.2% This situation was unlikely, because the button would AA 66.7% have reraised. Still correct to call though.22 14.2% 6 to 1 oddsQQ 55.3% AJs 28.4%22 16.4% 5.1 to 1 odds QQ 66.1% TT 19%22 14.9% 5.7 to 1 oddsQQ 64.9%TJs 18.7 %22 16.4% 5.1 to 1 oddsWith that 72 os you would likely be a 7 to 1 dog in most cases.Another factor you might take into account though is what value making the money has to you vs. finishing high in the tournament. If there are other stacks that will be vulnarable in the next round, you might want to fold. In other words, if you feel the odds of another player being eliminated in the next round are better than 6.75 to 1, you could fold, if you simply want to finish in the money. But you want to win I'm sure.

[gm269 0]

Thanks Troutsmart. I really felt that it was a mathmatical no-brainer, but actually seeing those figures makes me feel better about decision.

[akishore 0]

it's a terrible situation, but you made the right call. not to offend other posters, but this is a very easy call IMO. while it sucks to be all-in with 2-2, given these considerations, it's a very easy call:1. you have exactly one big blind left, and the next hand will take 5/8 of your stack before you even see your cards. if this is not the time to make a move, i don't know what is.2. the pot is offering you a gigantic 6.75-1. as troutsmart pointed out, MANY hands are worth calling an all-in at that point. while i wouldn't stretch it to 72o, almost any other hand is callable. especially with 22, at worst you are around a 4-1 dog.3. you are already beyond the point of no return (i.e. if you double up, you're still extremely shortstacked), but you're given the option of more than tripling up here (technically almost 7-ing-up if you consider only how much you have to call), so a great opportunity has presented itself. further, if you fold, you will be way worse than the point of no return (if you double up the next hand, you will only have between three to four big blinds).4. even if you fold this hand and the next hand, you will have only have three hands left because of the antes. you will probably not be able to squeak into the money as the shortstack of the tournament in four hands if you fold this.easy call. you definitely made the correct move.aseem

[Graphic_V 0]

I am not sure in my experience if there is a correct answer to that question. although theoretically you could have seen one or two more hands to see if a better opportunity or someone else gets knocked out before the next round of the blinds completely wipes you out. I believe that you did the right thing. Your chances of flopping a set probably outweighed your chances of getting a hand in one or two more opportunities.

[rog 0]

I call unless the next shortest stack is going to be forced to make a move before the blinds come around to you again. If you think the odds are good you can fold into the money, then I'd lay it down since you're odds of winning this hand are pretty low no matter what the pot-odds say. If you're not sitting last place 1 spot out of the money, this is an easy call.

[bigedjr17 0]

I call unless the next shortest stack is going to be forced to make a move before the blinds come around to you again.  If you think the odds are good you can fold into the money, then I'd lay it down since you're odds of winning this hand are pretty low no matter what the pot-odds say.  If you're not sitting last place 1 spot out of the money, this is an easy call.

i agree..

[BilliardsBoy 0]

Yea, what Aseem said.I'd do the same. Good call. I may have made a move with pretty much any hand at that point, so at least you had a pair in the whole.