Short Stacked....Do you try and double up on garbage or fold your big blind?

Was playing on sunday in a live game. We're down to the last 15 or so players of a 90+ player tournament. The blinds go up pretty swiftly in the game and i was never ahead in chips during the whole tournament. Nevertheless i was still in there and definately in with a chance.

3 tables left. Im sitting with 5600 chips. The blinds are at 750/1500.

2 or 3 people get knocked out at one of the other tables and we move down to 2 tables. My table is the one that splits up. So we all got placed between the two cards and due to the card i picked i got put under the gun...doh!. Not what you want when short stacked

My first hand was absolute garbage...something like J2, so i mucked them. The blinds move up to 1,000/2,000. Im big blind and get dealt .

Before i even had a chance to look a guy who was medium stack raises up to 10,000 chips. Everyone folded and it came round to me. I took a while to decide - should i stick in the rest of my 3600 chips or do i take the chance and hope for a good hand on my small blind. I eventually decided to fold and go all in regardless of what two cards i got.

So down to 3600 chips. Someone again raises to 10,000 and i call. I hadnt even looked at my cards. He turned over A2 and had ....which wasnt too bad considering the hand he raised with. Unfortunately, he hit a full house and put me out - lol.

Now i know that at that stage and being short stacked my fate was really out of my hands. However, im curious as to what everyone would have done.

looking back i think i should have called on my big blind. There is no doubt i would have been behind but it was a chance to double up to 12,200 chips whilst folding and going allin on my small blind would see my only going to 7200 heads up if i won....anymore would have required me to beat more people and that was very likely when you consider my allin wouldnt have even been a 1 blind raise. In comparison the original heads up scenario would have been better.

Hindsight is of course a wonderful thing....infact, just after i folded i thought to myself 'why didnt i call that'. Ive been in similar positions before and folded and then came back and finished well but i really should have went for it here.

When i put in my big blind of 2,000 chips i really should have called with any two cards

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36 I wouldve folded in a heartbeat....K4 suited I cant say honestly one way or the other.I try to stay away from thinking I have to double up.I prefer grinding it out til I get something I want to play.Ive seen the cards Ive folded win a hand and Ive seen the next deal bring me something I feel good about.
I like having the control which hand I play,I just figure I can go out on bad cards now or take a chance Ill get something good before the next blind,if not I gave it every chance to happen.

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i think you need to look over my post again and check the situation i was in

the blinds were at 2,000. I had 5600 chips. I had to put in 2000 chips for my big blind so im left with 3600 chips. If i fold then i need to put in another 1000 regardless for my small blind in the next hand...if i fold that im down to 2600...not even a blind and a half.

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So, if you fold the SB you're down to 2600. How many hands would you see before the BB got back to you? You really were in a bad situation. The big stacks are going to keep putting in raises to get the short stacks out, force you to play inferior hands. I would still probably have folded and seen what the next hands brought. Yah, you're seriously short but I'd wait til the bitter end. I've come back to win SnG's from a far worse position and believe that as long as you have chips you have a chance. I there were 7 people at your table you had at least 6 free hands, assuming you didn't have to ante, before you're forced to go all-in. If you happen to get a small rush there you could possibly double up a couple of times and be back in the thick of it.

perhaps that was an option....i still think that going all in at the big blind was the best option simply because if i wait til im down to 2600 i can double up and still be in the same position - compared to doubling up at the big blind position and being able to see another few rounds the table. Im not sure of there is any right or wrong answer....if i had won my allin i might not have even been asking these questions

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Ive gota agree pushing all in with the big blind in that situation IMO is the best possible deal. Granted u could go bust but after that hand there almost obligated to call your allin no matter what you had. Simply put your maximizing the amount of chips that you could win. Also the guy rasing 10k could have been on the thought process that you were weak and that you would fold knowing that you had no choice. Gambling that you didnt have a hand to call on and that you would fold.

I seen the spot and its bad one,Im not saying you made a bad move or I wouldnt have done it.I just look at it different is all,if I believe Im going to lose with that hand than why would I want to play it?Id rather have 3600 and catch a good hand on the sb or have 2600 and catch a good hand.If you wouldve had 36 again the second BB instead of K4 I wouldve folded no hesitation,but the K4 suited in that spot wouldve been one I may have played.It would depend alot on who was raising or in the hand.But if I think Im going to lose and have 0,Ill take 2600 or 3600 over that.Either pushing or folding can work on any given day.in the end I just go with my gut instinct(and hope its not the flu)Im a grinder Theres 7 of us dwarves so I have 6 more lives

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im a grinder myself

however, i cant wait til im dealt pocket tens or whatever. I just dont have the luxury of waiting for such a hand which is why i think my folding of the big blind was wrong

also, calling doesnt mean im 100% out - i dont have a 0% chance.

against has a 45% chance of winning. Yeah, im an underdog but i still think that doubling up to 12,000 chips on a 40% chance is better than going up to 6000 ish on a 50 or 60% shot because if i only go up to 6000 chips im still in a situation where i need to double up. The odds of winning two hands are less than the odds of winning one

Of course, being against two overcards instead of one would see my odds drop to about 2 to 1 underdog on most hands.

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i found myself in this exact situation a few months ago on stars. i also folded, and regretted it immediately, not only because i would have made a full house, but because it was the correct play to call. i'll try to dig it up and post it on here to compare.