I busted out of the $1500 no limit event quite early (as I've made a habit of doing so far this WSOP).And, I did it in a way that I normally try to avoid like the plague.

The situation: I have the button and only 1k in chips, with 100-200 blinds.The table is fairly typical (a mix of good and weaker players trying to play well).Huck Seed, with $1300, moves all-in UTG.This is the fourth time he's moved his short stack all in pre-flop in the last 15 hands.It's folded to me, and I look down at 99.

My decision: Ordinarily, I hate calling off my money with small or medium pairs, as you are typically hoping for a coin flip type situation when you do?.And, my philosophy on coin flips is to not call much when I feel I am facing one.However, I like to initiate the action, forcing my opponent to make a tough call in order to engage me in a coin flip (I have 2 ways to win - he might fold, or he might call and I win the flip).So, my only shot of winning if I chose to call with 99 would be to end up with the best hand.

In this case, given Huck's ability to move all in with literally any two cards, I decided to call.I felt that a coin flip was a likely worst case scenario, rather than best case.

As it turns out, he had AK, hit an ace, and sent me packing wondering whether I had made the right play.

I asked quite a few players about the hand after the fact, and most agreed that they too would have played the 99.However, a few of the best players I asked said they would have folded.

Comments.

Mark Gregorich