blonde poker forum

Here’s a scenario I was in at the Final Table recently:

Player A – on button with 95k
Player B – SB with 16k
Me – BB with 47k
Player C – UTG with 50k

Blinds are 4k & 8k.

Prizes were 1st - £2040, 2nd - £1260, 3rd - £810 & 4th - £530.

Player A, clearly desperate for the money of a higher placed finish is happy to continue to pass until he finds Aces or at least one more is eliminated and a deal may be discussed.

Player B is a relative newbie who has been all in no less than 4 times already (with us at 4 handed, and a couple of times more when there were 5 of us left) and survived every time, normally surviving from behind.

Player C likes to get busy with a wide range of hands, and has been nibbling my blind plenty safe in the knowledge that I cannot really call once the tight Player A and the weak player B have both passed (as they tend to do).

Then the following hand comes up. Player C raises (again!) to 18k to play. Player A passes and Player B dwells. At this point I haven’t seen my cards and am hoping that player B finds a good enough hand to call all in for his remaining 12k but not that good that he survives elimination yet again! Eventually, Player C calls for what he has left. The pot now contains 42k and I look down to find   Qs Qh.

My question and the reason for my post is this – should I pass this hand?

Given that I am writing a thread about it you will gather that I did not pass, rather I moved all in and lost to Player C, who called me in a flash when I pushed all in, despite him having 32k left and a call leaving him with only 3k should he lose.

I was ducked by Player C’s  Tc Ts when the  Th hit the flop. Player B incidentally held  5d 5c.

As soon as I went out, Player’s A & C chopped the top two prizes for £1650 each and I had to settle for £670 as I had to share 3rd and 4th place prize money with Player B despite my protests that I should have received the higher prize based on pre-hand chip count.

So a bad beat costs me in the region of £1000 given that I would have been chopping it with Player A had my QQ stood up and we got rid of Player C and his remaining 3k asap.

So, if I knew I would have to share 3rd and 4th with the short stack should we both go out simultaneously, should I have passed my QQ here? Should I have flat called and hoped to check it out with Player C? (Unlikely given that it was a 10 high flop making me think I am miles ahead, but giving him a set) Was my preflop reraise all in poor play given the situation and money at stake, or am I just being stupid after getting pretty unlucky?

Any opinions on any aspect of this would be gratefully received. Oh, and hi to everyone – I’m new to the board and this is my first post.

welcom swish.

it depends on how important laddering another place is to you.

Personally i would have done exactly the same, if you don't get unlucky you are in great shape to give player c a taste of his own medicine.

Welcome Swish. 4-handed QQ is a stonking monster so don't worry.


Great avatar btw.  :)up

You are all short stacked, you have QQ, how can you pass?!?!

As for 3rd and 4th chopping, that is ludicrus you, as they say, woz robbed. Where was this? No doubt not a legal establishment!

Nope, this was in a genuine casino (Stanley Group), and apparently they still have the same rule in place - "it's been like that for years" I'm told!

Cheers for the responses - I don't think that passing the relative monster that is QQ 4 handed could be considered good play, although in this situation it would have been a fantastic mistake to have made. Sometime I worry that I overthink situations and do pass hands that I shouldn't be passing - most likely a consequence of a poor run of results and the resulting dip in confidence.

Cheers for the welcome to the site.

You played it right. Unlucky.

Welcome to the forum. :)up :)up :)up

 :hello:


Given that this was your read on Player A. Had your Queens held....


Sounds like this is the sort of fella you should be anihilating heads up. Don't be too keen on chopping the money when you feel you may have an edge.

How often do you get the chance to play for £780 heads up? Pressure situation, but one day you may be playing for thousands heads up. If you've always made deals when you get to this point, someone might run right over you.

Nothing wrong with your play here.

Also, dont worry about it - you get paid to make right decisions, and if they go against you , then so be it.

Play was fine just got unlucky.

Welcome aboard Swish