$2.20 NL HE MTT: Final table bubble - how should I have played this hand?

[Marshmalo1994]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

MTT

Buy-in

2.20

VP$IP

29

PFR

28

Game Options

1. Turbo

AF

8

Currency

$

Villain Stats (VPIP/PFR/AF): 29/28/8
There were 2 tables left, If it helps, I add the prize pool. I think that at that moment we were 13-15 players.
View attachment 367899
The chip leader was calling or raising several of the last hands, and being agressive postflop against passive actions.
Besides the possible mistakes I've made, I'd like to know what's the propper action here.

pokerstars, $1.96 + $0.24 - Hold'em No Limit - 12,500/25,000 (3,125 ante) - 7 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

paulovendas1257 (UTG): 1,067,930 (43 bb)
duyguesra (MP): 65,589 (3 bb)
ElTaz93 (MP+1): 426,633 (17 bb)
Kropfi_001 (CO): 522,506 (21 bb)
brascasser (BU): 229,147 (9 bb)
diogomilgrau (SB): 390,204 (16 bb)
Negri.94 (BB): 602,991 (24 bb)

Pre-Flop: (59,375) Hero (Negri.94) is BB with 8♠ 8♣
paulovendas1257 (UTG) raises to 50,000, 5 players fold, Negri.94 (BB) calls 25,000

Flop: (134,375) 3♥ T♥ 7♠ (2 players)
Negri.94 (BB) checks, paulovendas1257 (UTG) bets 44,344, Negri.94 (BB) calls 44,344

Turn: (223,063) 5♠ (2 players)
Negri.94 (BB) checks, paulovendas1257 (UTG) bets 156,144, Negri.94 (BB) calls 156,144

River: (535,351) A♣ (2 players)
Negri.94 (BB) checks, paulovendas1257 (UTG) bets 814,317 (all-in), Negri.94 (BB) folds

Total pot: 535,351
paulovendas1257 (UTG) wins 535,351

My guess now is:
Preflop: I had to have shoved 3 bet, because I had less than 25BBs, and the range of the villain is looser at this point.
Flop: I think that there's place to a donkbet, or at least a check/raise.
Turn: I still think that my hand is stronger, and a call (which I did) puts me in a bad position, (short stack in a big pot). So again, I could have take iniciative of betting maybe half a pot, or check raise all in.
River: I could have avoided this, but despite his range is wide, Ax is still on his range I guess.

Let me know your thoughts on this hand, be kind please 😅.

Edit: I ended 2nd on this one. The villain on this hand got 1st.

 

[puzzlefish]

You do know that you're playing against UTG, which is supposed to open with a tight range, right? Just because the villain is the chip leader and plays aggressively, doesn't mean he's being loose (unless you saw showdowns to say otherwise).

I think maybe in this spot you might even be best off to just fold the 88 since you can't even get good odds to set mine here. I also think 25bb is too much to shove with. It might sound nittish but could be an exploitative fold and choose a better spot.

 

[fundiver199]

Preflop
Yes I think, this is a jam, especially with a read, that UTG has been quite active. 88 is a very strong hand in a preflop all-in context, and its tough to play out of position against an aggressive chip leader.

Flop and turn
Standard calls.

River
It sucks to not get to showdown, but the ace is a good card for his range, so as played I would also fold now. Yes maybe you got bluffed, but the away to avoid that is to move in preflop.

 

[iwont20]

I also immediately thought it's a push preflop, considering your position, stack size and a read on the opponent. But then I saw that you already said it yourself 😂 and @fundiver199, as always, nailed it on top of it 😜

Argh, I hate hands like this - to play OOP a pair which could be dominated by a half of the deck on flop vs an aggro opponent and that's why I would be even more inclined to insta-push it pre 😅

 

[Marshmalo1994]

Well, it seems like a push preflop it may have been the best option in this case.
And the hand as it was played, maybe it wasn't that catastrophic, but at that time I felt like I really messed up.

 

[Vallet]

Playing against an aggressive chipleader boils down to two things. Either we hit the flop and slowly take his stack, or we play more aggressively and take risks. A good place to take risks is the flop. If the villain only calls with a high card, such as an ace, then you got a bad beat on the river. Your position at the table is not that bad compared to other players. Therefore, I would not try to beat a chipleader with pocket eights.

 

[eetenor]

Villain Stats (VPIP/PFR/AF): 29/28/8
There were 2 tables left, If it helps, I add the prize pool. I think that at that moment we were 13-15 players.
View attachment 367899
The chip leader was calling or raising several of the last hands, and being agressive postflop against passive actions.
Besides the possible mistakes I've made, I'd like to know what's the propper action here.

PokerStars, $1.96 + $0.24 - Hold'em No Limit - 12,500/25,000 (3,125 ante) - 7 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

paulovendas1257 (UTG): 1,067,930 (43 bb)
duyguesra (MP): 65,589 (3 bb)
ElTaz93 (MP+1): 426,633 (17 bb)
Kropfi_001 (CO): 522,506 (21 bb)
brascasser (BU): 229,147 (9 bb)
diogomilgrau (SB): 390,204 (16 bb)
Negri.94 (BB): 602,991 (24 bb)

Pre-Flop: (59,375) Hero (Negri.94) is BB with 8♠ 8♣
paulovendas1257 (UTG) raises to 50,000, 5 players fold, Negri.94 (BB) calls 25,000

Flop: (134,375) 3♥ T♥ 7♠ (2 players)
Negri.94 (BB) checks, paulovendas1257 (UTG) bets 44,344, Negri.94 (BB) calls 44,344

Turn: (223,063) 5♠ (2 players)
Negri.94 (BB) checks, paulovendas1257 (UTG) bets 156,144, Negri.94 (BB) calls 156,144

River: (535,351) A♣ (2 players)
Negri.94 (BB) checks, paulovendas1257 (UTG) bets 814,317 (all-in), Negri.94 (BB) folds

Total pot: 535,351
paulovendas1257 (UTG) wins 535,351

My guess now is:
Preflop: I had to have shoved 3 bet, because I had less than 25BBs, and the range of the villain is looser at this point.
Flop: I think that there's place to a donkbet, or at least a check/raise.
Turn: I still think that my hand is stronger, and a call (which I did) puts me in a bad position, (short stack in a big pot). So again, I could have take iniciative of betting maybe half a pot, or check raise all in.
River: I could have avoided this, but despite his range is wide, Ax is still on his range I guess.

Let me know your thoughts on this hand, be kind please 😅.

Edit: I ended 2nd on this one. The villain on this hand got 1st.

GTOWizard not exact situation has 88 as a flat- UTG cover 35 to 25 flat 88 I then looked at HJ open 50bb to 25 88 still a flat HJ was opening 28% so even if UTG is wider than gto flat with 88 still your best ICM choice. Flop check- call -turn check- fold to that sizing.