Message Board : 3 handed with 40% of chips in play, how should I play this?

Last night…

Finally there were three players left; I had 24,000 chips, Al had 26,000 chips, and Jimmy Ray Smith had the rest – approximately 10,000.  I was sure I was going to come in at least second, but I intended to win.  I think I am better than they are.  Especially short handed.

I was dealt A-10 and was first to act.  Three handed this is a huge hand, so I announced, “I’m all-in.”  Al called immediately.  He must have woke up with a hand.  Jimmy Ray folded.  At this stage of the game and among these players he could be calling with a wide range of hands: A-A K-K, Q-Q, J-J, 10-10 on down to about 5-5 and A-Ks, A-Ko, A-Qs on down to about Q-J.  I have seen some call with worse than that!  The only real calling hands in this situation, with the game on the line, should be A-A, K-K, Q-Q and perhaps A-Ks through A-Qs.  Against any pair except A-A or 10-10 it would have been a race with approximately 52% for the pair to 48% for my A-10.  Against anything else I’d hardly have been worse than 60% - 40% or 3-2.

So, I didn’t think it was the end of the world. 

Then Al turned over A-A.  How many good hands can a person have after having come to the final table with about 2,000 in chips? 

Of course, I lost.  And I have given the hand a lot of thought.  I only broke one rule of poker that I can think of: Don’t get in a fight with the chip leader of the tournament because it can cost you all of your chips.  But, on reflection, I really think I had to lose an awful lot of chips here, but was probably destined to get busted.  I belive most pros on TV would have been busted here.

I am still thinking about the hand.  I think the only realistic way I could have gotten away from the hand was if I had limped and Al had limped behind me trying to trap.  Then, if I missed the flop – like I did in the game – and he made a pretty good bet of ¾ of the pot to a pot sized bet, assuming he was first to act, then perhaps I would have viewed the hand like having an A-K and missing the flop.  If you miss with A-K or the A-10 below, then all you have are two high cards.  In this situation I would have been able to get away from the hand.

What is the correct take on this hand?

Natcheztoo

Greyzy,

The blinds were 900 and 1800, and I was the big blind.  I open raised all-in.  Gulp.

Natcheztoo