Playing 3-3 With Three Left in a Satellite

You're up against two seasoned players who have a lot more experience playing no-limit hold'em satellites than you have. It's late in the satellite and you're about even in chip count in three-way action when, bingo, you find a small pocket pair. How do you play it? This was the dilemma that faced "Todd," who e-mailed me the following account of what happened in his encounter with two pros and pocket threes:

"I recently picked up a copy of your new satellite strategy book and thought it was a real gem. Recently I played in a $1,060 no-limit hold'em satellite for the main event at the L.A. Poker Classic against your writing partner T.J. Cloutier.

"The satellite had been going for a while and I had been trying to employ a tight-aggressive strategy, as you suggest in your books, although, because we were playing no-limit, I was willing to look at some cheap flops early on. The cards were treating me OK and I found myself playing threehanded with the blinds at $500-$1,000 against T.J. and another young man I recognized from some other tournaments as a knowledgeable player. In the past, I have often found myself in the top three in satellites, but haven't taken first place often enough. I had decided that perhaps I had not played aggressively enough in the past, and had made up my mind not to go out like that in this satellite. As one of my opponents was the great Cloutier, and the other seemed pretty good, with the ability to come back over the top of raises, I had decided that my best bet may be to start employing a move-in strategy and force them to gamble with me a bit.

"I was catching decent cards for threehanded play and picked up several blinds. At this point everyone's chip count was very close at about $12,000-$15,000 each. I was in the big blind when the young man just limped in from the button. I looked down to see 3-3 and moved all in. He thought about it for a while and then called with K-10 offsuit. He hit a 10 on the flop and that was it for me.

"Afterward, I wondered if I had played the hand poorly. I realize that I was a small favorite going in, and that I put him to the test with my all-in raise. However it was my big blind and he just limped in, which was out of the ordinary. I could have taken the flop for free and then gotten away from my hand. Inasmuch as I was not trying to steal his blind, but was in the blind myself, perhaps moving in was the wrong play. If I had been on the button or in the small blind, I don't think I would be questioning myself about the play. Also, I know that in this situation, limpers are sometimes dangerous, but he only had K-10, and he had limped and then folded to my all-in bets on a few occasions before this hand.

"Any opinions about my play? With an even chip distribution, should I have tried to play a cat-and-mouse game with T.J. and my other opponent, or do you think my decision to use a move-in strategy was appropriate under the circumstances?"

I answered Todd with the following advice: Your move-in strategy was reasonable against players you felt might be better than you and possibly could outplay you after the flop. However, after moving in two or three times in quick succession, a more cautious approach might have been better, especially since you could have seen a free flop with your small pocket pair. Small pairs are very vulnerable, even if they are the best starting hand, and I am sure that your previous move-in plays caused your opponent to decide to gamble with you.

If I had been the player on the button with the K-10, I would not have called your move-in bet. I probably would have put in a modest raise before the flop, and then decided what to do if either you or T.J. moved in on me. Most likely, I would have folded. Your move-in strategy was reasonable, but you should not overdo it, which I believe you did. Furthermore, always be wary of a button limp, especially if that player knows that you might move in, based on his observation of your previous play.

Seeing a free flop is definitely my preferred play in this case. However, if I had not been playing fast prior to this hand, I might have tried the move-in approach because I think my opponent would have given me more respect and folded a marginal hand like K-10.

It's always disappointing to bomb out of a big buy-in satellite just short of the money, but if you can hang on for just a few more hands in the next one you enter, I'm sure we'll meet one day soon at the final table.

Editor's note: Tom McEvoy is the co-author (with Brad Daugherty) of Championship Satellite Strategy. McEvoy and T.J. Cloutier are the co-authors of Championship No-Limit & Pot-Limit Hold'em. All of McEvoy's books are available through Card Player. For more details, visit www.cardplayer.com.