Originally Posted by
Dan Druff
I actually had this decision with QQ in the WSOP Main Event in 2010.
There were around 90 people left, and I picked up QQ. I had about 1.3 million chips, average stack was about 2.1 million.
I was UTG. Blinds were 20k/40k and I forget the ante, but it was something typical for 20k/40k like 5k.
I opened to 100k. A loose-aggressive kid made it 300k about 3 spots to my left. Got to a Euro kid on the button who looked like Swedish Allen Cunningham, and he looked VERY unhappy. This guy was an internet player and was a huge tellbox. He definitely wasn't acting. He had a hand that was too good to easily fold, but not good enough to be happy about putting his tournament life on the line. His stack was 1.1 million, while the loose-aggro guy who 3-bet had both of us covered.
Swedish Cunnigham finally went all-in and looked unhappy about it.
I knew for sure he didn't have AA or KK, which meant either I was coin-flipping (against AK) or crushing him (if he had TT or JJ). I still had to worry about the other guy 3-betting, but he was fairly loose and I was willing to take my chances against him (I decided to shove on him before it even got to Swedish Cunningham).
I called. The loose-aggro kid folded and said he had AT. I was hoping to see Swedish Cunnigham with JJ, but he turned over AK suited.
Ace on flop. I was cripped. Lost 3 hands later, in 88th place.
I still think I made the right move because I knew I wasn't up against AA or KK (at least with Swedish Cunningham), the loose-aggro kid probably didn't have me beat (due to his willingness to 3-bet light), and winning the hand would put me well over 2.5 million, and I'd have an above-average stack in the WSOP Main Event with 88 people left.
If I folded, I would have been back in the spot of semi-shortstacking, paying 100k per round.