Folding Cat 1s to an All In Preflop

I took a lot of heat from a couple of my friends who could just not let this situation get away. Apparently I made a complete and utterly idiotic play in thier eyes. I'm wondering how many agree...

Here's the situation, single table live tourney with a strong buy in. Down to 4 players, only top 2 are paid. I'm second in chips. I'm dealt AKoff and chip leader first to act goes all in. I fold without even thinking about a call. The other two quickly fold...hand is over. Well our personal dealer (the guy who was first to be knocked out) took a look at my hole cards and flips them over, said 'oh my god what were you thinking?' He wouldn't let it go all night and now today.

I told him my defense (like i needed to he shouldn't have looked at my cards anyway) I would have to risk my tourney life on an unmade hand when i could very well be looking at a pocket pair. There was a good chance it was a coin flip or worse. Anyone who plays with me knows i'm tight, and I try to grind out chips until i can mow you down.

I have more respect for my play then to say that i'm better off flipping a coin then playing solid and grinding out chips.

So yall tell me, folding big slick preflop acceptable, or complete bull shit bone head move?

I dont think folding that was a bad move. If you dont think your hand is that strong than you shouldnt risk it. Just wait for a hand you like. I might of called if it was suited because I always have a bad felling when its unsuited. I put him on a small or medium pocket pair and a coin flip.

So how did you end up doing in the tournment?

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Let's Gamble

Personally i wanted to tell him off...that maybe his game sucks bad enough that he would rather flip a coin then play it out but i wasn't going to. I know i would regret those words and everyone is entitled to thier own belief so i shut my mouth. I won't think that about anyone who goes against me in this post, I was just mad at the time so please if you disagree state your case.

To answer you Home, this guy had already done 3 or 4 all ins but none of which were contested. I couldnt get a good enough read so i played it safe.

I came in second place, AQs lost to AK, it was funny, on the river, i had 3 queens in the deck that could have saved me, or any club. Missed them all unfortunatly. Was a good game though

Sorry to be a prick, but I find it kind of ironic that you lost to the very AK that you folded... That said, I am behind you 100% with the preflop fold to the big stack all-in with AK offsuit. I don't like pushing all my chips into the pot preflop regardless. The only instance where I will do that is if I have a pocket pair, but even then I always fear the higher pocket. Chances are you will get me to fold -- Uh oh, cat's out of the bag. I, like you Cowboy, believe that I am a skilled enough player to outplay people after a flop comes or like you said -- grind out chips. I would rather fold that coin flip for my tournament life and live to fight another day. So what I fold AK offsuit. I might get it again the very next hand. Take it one hand at a time. If you have that many chips in front of you, you don't need to feel pressured into a stupid all-in. There is just no reason for it. I can't see any good logic into calling a bet like that. What if he had pocket Kings or pocket Aces, then you are really screwed.

Good move. Don't change a damn thing.

There is no decision there at all...you made the right play by folding. My question to your friend would be...why would I want to flip a coin (at best) after playing for X number of hours when we are down to 4 players and it would be heads - give up your chair or tails - continue on...this was not calling a large bet, instead it was for your total bank.

I have been in many simular type situations and wanted to call but instead folded only to see another player call and then after seeing the cards...I see that I would have lost....now two hands later, I get a monster hand and take down a large pot without the risk of the previous hand and I think to myself...you just got rewarded for not gambeling.

Winning hold'em is removing as much of the risk as we can and especially annihilation type risk!

There was a line in the Rounders movie that is very true...Matt Damon said " guys aroud here will tell you if you play for a living, you don't gamble..you grind it out"

AK is monsterous 4 handed, but I have to agree with you. Maybe if you were in the money and clinging to a few chips and you needed to make a move I'd disagree, but considering you had a decent stack and you wanted to cash I can understand entirely. 99% chance I'd have done the same thing myself. Even if he is a looses player and pushes all-in constantly you never know when you might be up against a pair, and even though it's unlikely he may have even had AA or KK in which case you're done before you turn the cards over. I like your decision.

And tell your friend who looked at your hole cards that it isn't any buisness of his what you decide to fold!

Would depend on how the leader had been playing and my gut feeling.If he had been betting huge on a regular basis I wouldve called.But if Im in a good spot ...tables been running true . ..nice buy...only 2 get paid Id drop them faster than you did!Did he look at the other guys hand to see what he had?

Very good point xtra!!