Blowing a big lead

[JDLush]

Well, it's not too often that I am in this situation, but what do y'all recommend?

UB $10+1 Aruba satellite tourney. 111 entrants, top 3 get tickets to the $300+20 Aruba tourney, 4 thru 6 get cash (6th pays $52). This is a turbo with 5 minute blinds.

I had some sick cards early on, i.e. back to back nut flushes followed by AA. AK 3 times and hit an A or K each time. About an hour in I am in 3rd place with maybe 40 people left. 4th place stack is 2 to my right and I've seen her play weak aces twice, so when she raises and I am looking at AQo I call. Flop is all blanks and I just call her min bet. When an A hits the turn and she bets big I push her in. She calls with ATo and I just about double up and knock her out.

With 19 left I am the chip leader with T34k. 2nd place stack has 22k and no one else is above T20k. I do some quick math and there should be about 175,000 chips total, so I have over 1/6th of the chips in play. Should I completely shut it down here?

Well, I didn't. I did tighten up some, but lost about 6k when I called an all in with AK. Other player had A9 but caught a 9. I then lose almost 10k when I call an all in with AQo against 88 and don't hit.

By the time we get to the final table I am down to 10k, although #6 in chip count. Unfortunately, 2 of the smaller stacks double up and I am completely card dead. I ended up bubbling out in 7th when my desperation A5 in the BB runs into AK.

Should I have completely shut it down when I had the big lead and just waited for AA or KK? I didn't try to bully anyone since guys were pushing with junk because of the quickly escalating blinds. I am really pissed that I didn't even take consolation cash outta this one.

I made it up right afterward on a $50 NL table but I wanted a shot at that Aruba tourney, dammit!

[briachek]

[Dumb Snowman]