I recently played in a 560 buy in RUNGOOD main event (live MTT). I feel I played great on day 1 and made it to day 2, 13th in chips...out of 42. My table draw might be the worst ever...5 previous champions and 2 SOLID players...then me

Directly on my left is 2 past winners, both with over 350k in chips. I have 160k...

The following is what I did, for a very specific reason, but I am curious on your thoughts...I will share my reasoning at the end.

at 1500-3000 level, I get QQ UTG. I raise to 8k. Folds around to button (very aggressive, solid player, we have played a lot together). He re-raises 25k more, making it 33k to go. I think about it and call. Flop comes 2,5,7 rainbow. I check and he immediately goes all-in. I call for 127k...he tables AKo, and spikes a A on the turn. I am out in 37th place (top 20 got paid)

What are your thoughts, critiques, etc?

My thought process was this...I need to build my chips high enough to make the 2 past champions directly on my left be a little more cautious when raising me. Based on his pre flop actions I had my opponent on 10,10-JJ, AJ,AQ,AK...I felt if I 3 bet pre, he would shove with AKo, or AQs...possibly JJ (best case for me) leaving me a coin flip to double up. However call,check if no A or K, gives him an opportunity to continuation bet shove (he is aggressive enough)...meaning I would now be a 3-1 favorite providing he has AK...even more ahead if its JJ or AQ.

If I shove the flop, he is always folding, if I shove pre he might fold 10%, meaning I can increase my stack by 10 BB almost always, or I can double up 77 out of 100 times. Which play is best for long term success in MTT?

Or any I having a mental block

Thank you

Sizing are pretty lol on every st...does vill always 3bet to 4x in position with ~50bbs effective? I would assume there's a sizing tell here, but as played you coulda done a better job of fading the A or K imo.

First of all, I wouldn't assume that anyone is that good just because they won a $500 live MTT. Don't play scared. I'd be willing to bet that the guy who 3bet you here isn't that good either based on his sizing, but hey, maybe I'm wrong.

Anyways, this is a clear 4bet jam pre OOP w/ 50 BBs

Bad beat vent thread

well you played the hand how you wanted it to go. you wanted him to have AK and shove the flop and then your a 3:1 favorite with your call.

I would of 4 bet jammed pre-flop. I still would of lost to a coinflip spot.

I agree with the others. Just get it in here preflop.

More importantly, don’t aim for specific stack sizes. Your 50 BB stack is fine to play, and will cause pain to the 115s.

Even against a tight villain this is a shove imo.
If villain is even marginally lag it's a very clear jam i think.

Why is the villain's bet sizing bad?

This is by no means a comprehensive list (of the reasons why the 3bet sizing is "less than optimal" imo.

The 1st thing that comes to mind is (if you choose) to use the big 3ball sizing, you really confine yourself to a very narrow range of value hands. This is a spot where a 3bet looks pretty strong - utg 2.7x from a guy who doesn't strike me as being a LAG, and btn 3bet (in a spot where he can profitably call most of his continuing range.) For example, a hand a strong as JJ is probably plays better as a call in this spot (and my 3bet % is def on the high end.)

Most more experienced plyrs will size the 3bet to something like 2.7x. This lets them include some bluffs and it creates a much more manageable SPR: ~2.5/2.6 to 1*, as opposed to the super-awkward 1.7 to 1.

*my calcs a assume a 300 ante and 9 players at the table.

Using the large sizing and creating a smaller SPR also negates most, if not all of your the positional advantage, since the postflop decision (for oop) is simplified. An SPR of 2.6 to 1 lets you play a 2 street game (if you use a standard 3-bet pot Cbet sizing of 35% otf you will have pot behind ott.) This gives you 2 postflop opportunities to force a mistake when you are bluffing, or bluffing then semi-bluffing. It also allows you to build the pot gradually with your value combos.

The main advantage for the larger sizing would be increased FE, but given the strength attached (see reasons above) to any aggression, it is unnecessary imo (even without the SPR implications.)

Dont really agree (based upon the villain-related info provided, or lack thereof) that this is akways a shove pre either...

Thanks.