Live Tourney exit hand - Would you play it differently?

[Pokerron]

Last 9 of a (poorly structured) live MTT.   Average stack is 4,500, I have 7k, blinds are 500/1000 (told you!), I am in small blind.  I have just moved tables, this is hand number 2 at the final, I folded to a raise when in BB, seat 5 did not play hand 1. 

Play has been 'all in or fold' for at least 15 minutes.  Top 3 get paid.

Folded to seat 5 (7k) who calls, seat 6 and 7 fold:

 Me:

I raise to 3,500 total, leaving me 3.5k.  I dont mind winning the 2k there and then, but will happily call any raises as BB and seat 5 have equal chips to me.   BB fold and seat 5 throws in 3k without thinking about folding or putting me all in.

Flop: 

Seat 5 checks

I go all in for the remainder and was called by a sheepish looking seat 5 who showed  and I lose.

I left the event feeling I had done nothing wrong and that the guy who knew nothing about me made a poor call and hit after calling off 50% of his chips with ace rag.    3 days later I am looking at myself to see what I did wrong and whether I should have gone all in rather than raising so little (though this was enough to commit over 75% of the table).

Any comments? 

[Lee]

With such high blinds, by raising half of your stack, you are telling the table that you will be calling any raise all in anyway, so i would bet allin in that scenario as it means the exact same.

You was a little unlucky for sure, however with such small stacks and huge blinds, his A5 could be ahead of many possible hands you are raising with. A5 in his hand here is probably equivalent to AQ early on. Right or wrong, any ace at this stage is often perceived as the best starting hand and often is.

[marcro]

I would also have pushed all in preflop.

[Royal Flush]

I raise to 3,500 total, leaving me 3.5k.  I dont mind winning the 2k there and then

Given the stack to blind ration in the game this shows a huge flaw in your thinking, if you get QQ here you should be devestated if you just pick up the 2k. You have the 3rd best hand in the deck in a crapshoot. I would be trying to get as much money into the pot as possible.

You played the hand perfect.

[maldini32]

a badly disguised bad beat...

[Newmanseye]

a badly disguised bad beat...

I cant see the disguise

[temp0r]

when you play tournaments structured like this you really have to be in push/fold mode from about an hour in! i'd of pushed no question. i mean if someone called that raise and an ace or king hit the flop. you're left with 3.5 x BB and have played yourself out of the tournament really.

[Horneris]

Yep. You're right. it was a poor play on the other players behalf and you were unlucky to lose. But, there was no point not going all in pre flop. Surely he would have folded the Ace Five then.

[Royal Flush]

when you play tournaments structured like this you really have to be in push/fold mode from about an hour in! i'd of pushed no question. i mean if someone called that raise and an ace or king hit the flop. you're left with 3.5 x BB and have played yourself out of the tournament really.

So you push just incase someone hits a 3 out?

[Horneris]

Yes, it may seem ridiculous to say that, but at this stage in the tournament you can't afford to let any bad players get lucky on you. You also push because the blinds are big and you should be happy to win those even if everyone folds.

[Royal Flush]

Yes, it may seem ridiculous to say that, but at this stage in the tournament you can't afford to let any bad players get lucky on you. You also push because the blinds are big and you should be happy to win those even if everyone folds.

Reading your earlier posts i thought i had found an ally in the "get value with big hands" camp rather than the "push all in now incase someone outdraws me" camp!

Back to the lonely camp for me!

I always want bad players to be trying to get lucky on me, if they stopped doing that i would have to get a job!

[bolt pp]

Yes, it may seem ridiculous to say that, but at this stage in the tournament you can't afford to let any bad players get lucky on you. You also push because the blinds are big and you should be happy to win those even if everyone folds.

Reading your earlier posts i thought i had found an ally in the "get value with big hands" camp rather than the "push all in now incase someone outdraws me" camp!

Back to the lonely camp for me!

I always want bad players to be trying to get lucky on me, if they stopped doing that i would have to get a job!

Cant you beat the good players?                                 

 

[Royal Flush]

Yes, it may seem ridiculous to say that, but at this stage in the tournament you can't afford to let any bad players get lucky on you. You also push because the blinds are big and you should be happy to win those even if everyone folds.

Reading your earlier posts i thought i had found an ally in the "get value with big hands" camp rather than the "push all in now incase someone outdraws me" camp!

Back to the lonely camp for me!

I always want bad players to be trying to get lucky on me, if they stopped doing that i would have to get a job!

Cant you beat the good players?                                 

 

I never play any!

[bolt pp]

You've never played in the poker capital of london - Woolwich!!!!!

[Horneris]

Yes you're right, and i do agree with you and in the long run you will obviously make a lot more money than you'd lose against Ace Five. I Just wouldnt want to take any risks on the final table when you only have around 7k left, because any Ace or King on the flop and you're hand may well be destroyed.

If you had 12,000 plus it was just a raise of course, but by going all in with 7,000 you would buy the 1,500 and therefore have a couple more rounds.

Idont think that there is really a "correct play" here, its more down to individual interpretation.