Mid Pairs On Button

[GlasgowBandit]

Just played a tourney on tinternet there and bit dissapointed with my exit. 

I played quite well for the first 2hrs, very tight and only got involved in one showdown had slowly built my stack upto 14k and then the following happens.  I am on button with 88 two early position limpers so was happy to see a flop and hopefully ping a set as it happens the SB set himself in for approximately 3k more blinds where 150/300 so there was 1350 in the pot plus the 3 k making the pot just short of 4.5k - now I'm probably about 4th place at this point and its just over 20% of my stack to call. 

I hummed and hawed for all my time and then decided that I should call after the other EP limpers passed.  I was certain that I was racing and I thought the odds might be in my favour.  As it turned out the AI player had AQ off, the flop came T 7 9 rainbow could have hoped for much better unless and 8 popped up inevitably the A hit on the river and I lost the hand.

 For the next hour i can count on one hand the pots I got involved in again on the button i pick up 77 I have done some serious damage to my stack now by getting blinded away.  Presently have around 6.9k and in need of a double up I was sitting in about 23rd place out of 47 players left UTG who has a monster stack and is in top 3 flat calls he has shown himself to be very aggressive and hit miracle cards to knock players out left right and centre eg he was almost down to the felt when I was table captain and called a re-raise for all his stack with T 4 the flop came A 2 3 he was up against A K and hit a 5 on the river total luckbox and this was the player I had earmarked for my double up.

Another EP player also called he to had a monster stack and was in top 3 as well.  another 2 callers before it comes to me with my 77 the table had been pretty weak/passive due to luckbox raising every pot and making it peoples full stacks for them to go.  I found this guy very difficult to play against because there where times he'd push with monster and times where he'd slow play them and times he'd just play absolute mince holdings and somehow manage to get lucky.

My question is this should I be pushing here or calling and hoping o hit the set?  I was sure I could get the MP limpers to pass I'm sure one of them would have stuck in a raise with a big PP or a Big A.  Ideally I want to take the pot now without even going to a flop.  If I call and its a scary flop I am sure to be facing an all in for my tournament life, I don't want to get into a position where I am hanging on hoping to squeeze into the money I want to get to the FT at least.  TBH I think I am happy to take on another race, but I just don't seem able to win any. 

Anyway I decided to push and true to form the LAG called with QQ - huh just my luck to run into a monster.  Everyone else passed but there is some saving grace here in that the flo came down A K 9 all clubs I have the and matey doesn't have a C so I have picked up extra outs needless to day I missed them all but was the push correct?  I'm thinking now I could maybe have gone another few  rounds of the table and hoped to pick up QQ+ before pushing.  But I am also weary that the blinds are now 300/600 and about to go up I don't want to make it an auto call for the BB when I loose another 2k or so in blinds.

So basically middle road pairs where my downfall, the best hand I picked up in almost 3hrs of play was 99 I'm not sure if the lack of decent hands contributed to my downfall as I was becoming pretty frustrated that my decent sized stack was wittled down by blinds.  And a bit of bad luck in a coinflip.

[MANTIS01]

The first situation with the eights is perfectly reasonable. Of course a raise with a solid hand and position is the other way to go, particularly because you presently have a tight image. However, even if you raised here the sb is still pushing, so either way the chips are going in. I would be reluctant to call for much more having not taken the initiative...but on this occasion you feel you're ahead, and racing for 20% of your stack is a good opportunity to improve your position with minimum risk. You need a bit of fortune to do well in a tournament and on this occasion you didn't get it....but shying away from these gambles is not a formula for success.

There is a big difference with the second situation though. Firstly, look at your mentality.

With the 8's you say...

was happy to see a flop and hopefully ping a set

With the 7's you say...

Ideally I want to take the pot now without even going to a flop

In the first situation you have comfortable chips and have a certain mindset, it is a low-risk philosophy that will pay you handsomely if you hit. But in the second situation when you are becoming a bit anxious you are willing to throw caution to the wind. Now you may feel that the anxiety comes purely from the size of your stack. But I think it could be more to do with a combination of frustration brought on by no hands and loosing the gambles you have taken on. You certainly don't have a micro-stack at this point and calling with position still leaves you more than 10xbb....and it is a low risk play that will pay you handsomely if you hit! I am not particularly saying what is correct at this point but merely pointing out the difference in your strategy. I find this is quite a common trait. Why be LESS aggressive when you have MORE chips?

In this situation your stack is only just entering pushing territory and yet you choose to push in a situation where.....

UTG who has a monster stack....has shown himself to be very aggressive.....and hit miracle cards to knock players out left right and centre....flat calls

and

Another EP player also called he to had a monster stack and was in top 3 as well.  another 2 callers before it comes to me

The lucky and aggressive big-stack just calling UTG is clearly not a good sign and other monster stacks showing an interest mean your chances of taking the pot down uncontested are rather slim...and yet you choose this situation to get aggressive in spite of these factors. Even if you do get into a race with the luckbox I find they always hit.

I think you have probably just about had about enough of this tournament at this point and is why the play is weighing heavy on your mind. Frustration and emotion are leading your thought process here and this is not good. Having said that you could still have got the bit of fortune that you needed. But I think it is important to notice the change in your aggression level when you have less chips...but by no means a desperate stack. Or you will end up feeling disappointed with your exit.