We are at 600/1200. I have about 42,000 chips (we started with 20,000). This is level 9 and there is only one more level.

UTG opens to 3,000 (2.5x). This is normal for him and he has opened a bunch from everywhere but also has limped first in a bit. I have raised his limps twice and once I 3-bet him with AK and he had folded all 3 times. But his raise was not UTG or UTG+1. The third time I did it I showed him the AK (lots of people were showing their big hands like AA/KK/AK/etc. at the table and I wanted him to get the idea that I was never 3 betting light which was actually mostly true in this event).

I messed up AK royally in the Senior event with a guy who opened UTG because I thought senior event he has to be really strong and I'll play him in position (except he rivered a set with a small pair).

So instead of just calling here I 3 bet to 9,000. It folded back to him and he jammed for more chips than I had. But not by too much more like 10,000 more. I thought the worst hand he has here is JJ but I think he would likely just call with JJ because I don't think he would think I would 3 bet with TT. And I also didn't put AQ in his range because he is like 75 years old and I thought he would just call with AQ especially because I had showed him AK. So conundrum. I hate this spot.

I ended up calling because it was the second to last level and I was willing to be eliminated rather than go into Day 2 with less than 20 blinds. But I am curious what you guys think in terms of what to do here. Especially should I have 3 bet the UTG old guy?

Hey Rick

I’m 53 and watching the seniors final two days on PokerGO atm

From what I’ve seen, KK is a tough decision and AK is a snap fold

I would say that is hysterically funny but then this happened today. Guy to my left opens to about 2200 in MP with KK and BB 3 bets to like 5700 and both guys had well over 50,000 chips. Guy to my left folds to the 3 bet. I was stunned when he told me and then he told the BB who said he had (and showed) AA. What the F? I said to the guy why not just call and set mine for that price? And he said he would get stuck in the hand if the flop was all low cards.

We had two limps with AA today. On one of them the KK guy to my left raised and then folded to the decently sized large 3 bet. He was stunned at his own stupidity berating himself for raising with like AQs. There were so many limps today and people folding to my raises that I had no words.

And the best story of all. The original guy to my left limps UTG. The SB calls. So its 3-way at best. I look down and see TT so I make it 2500. Guy to my left folds. SB folds. Guy to my left tells me he had QQ. He thought about jamming but knew I had a monster. To me a jam would have been silly because we both had more than 22,500 but I mean I didn't say anything. I have never in my life seen somebody limp jam (or even reraise) with QQ. I have seen AA/KK/AK/JJ/JTo (a Parx story that involved two people who knew each other well. The guy called the jam and JTo won the hand). But today was like that.

So I hear you loud and clear. And yet I called anyway. I felt like it was going to be QQ and I was wrong. Its not like I haven't been knocked out with AK vs AA before. Like at least 3 times in senior events.

I think ultimately why i called was that since I have gotten here I have misplayed AK in at least 3 senior tournaments by not 3 betting pre flop. I think I just had it with myself and was willing to get knocked out rather than suffer another AK passive loss.

Assuming this is a full 9 man table I would just call pre - the only point of 3 betting this hand is if he's going to jam all of his Ax but given the dynamics it sounds like he won't. If he folds AJ to your 3bet that's really a disaster.

I think after the 3 bet you have to call the shove. I mean if you want to tell us that you had some super read that the guy is only shoving with AA/KK, sure you can fold this (But how long have you played with this player to know that they are only 4 betting those hands and that this is not a player who is spazzing or fed up with your 3 bets?). You are now getting too good a price, calling 33K to win ~85K. You need 39% equity here. IF the villain has JJ+ you have that equity. If you were deeper then you can consider folding this, but your stack is too shallow.

I think you have 3 options preflop
1) Flat AK (Most likely to do this is the player is going to play the flop predicably or for deception
2) 3 bet smaller to get the player to make a mistake (Can 3 bet to 6.5 - 8K) and then you can decide if the player shoves if you bet small
3) 3 bet to the size you did or larger and go with it if you get 4 bet by the player

I like the 3! And I assume I call based on math. Let’s suck out on qq/ jj hopefully. I
Think I would go a tad bigger with the 3! To like 10.5k but 9k is ok. Smaller is ok I feel if you wanna leave some option to fold.

You need to win these spots to go deep in a tourny. Obviously in a senior event where ranges are going to be tighter with much less lightness in a 4!- maybe a fold is ok but I would look at the math. I kinda hate flatting here as the hand plays kinda meh post and you really punish AQ and suited AJ type ands that call your 3! Or other suited Broadway type hands which villian should call pre with.

Idk 35bb, I feel it’s almost never wrong to get it in unless some insane money bubble exists where you wanna play lower variance. Here- only problem is 4! Range is going to be tight but AK is solid agains range when they don’t have AA or KK which we even block a bit. I know people laugh at the block thought but idk I’m fine losing AK to qq or jj here to give us a chance to punish on day 2.

Thank you guys for the responses.

He had AQs and I held and made it to day 2 with like 28 blinds. The average stack was like 40 blinds or so I think so I felt like I had a fighting chance.

I was actually shocked he had AQs. Personally with AQs I would have just called the 3 bet and gone from there. I was hoping he had QQ/JJ and I was willing to flip with the extra 21,000 in the pot already. If he had KK I would have had a chance (though I knocked somebody out Day 1 with KK vs AK). And if he had AA then I would just add it to my list if times I git knocked out with AA when I had AK.

Finished 27th (out of like 3,120) yesterday (Day 3).

Close out hand was AJo in the SB with like 21 bb's. Folded to me and I jammed. We were close to the end of the level so I was going to be be very short stacked if I missed the flop. BB woke up with AKs and to his credit didn't tank.

I could have limped in order to try to make an additional $2,500 but I preferred to try to go deep.

I just wanted to say thank you to all of the people on this forum who take the time to respond. My opinion is that you are awesome players and I have learned a lot.