Event #2 NLHE-Discuss plz

I'd like to hear comments on the following paragraph. It's taken from a P5s article on Grant Hinkle's win of Event #2- $1500 NLHE. Now call me a chicken-chit... ....but why is ANYONE with 3/5 o in this position.. even in this pot?? Let alone opening yet?? Clearly this is why I'm not a winning player I guess... maybe I just play too much 'ABC' poker... ??? I would have mucked this. Period. No questions...don't care WHAT position. LOL

"Hinkle describes a key pot that boosted his chip stack, which occurred on the 47th hand of final table play: "I opened in the cutoff with 3-5 offsuit for 150,000. Aaron Coulthard called on the button and Melvin Jones called from the big blind. The flop came 4-2-2 rainbow and I continuation bet 300,000 with my open-ended straight draw. Coulthard called and I really felt like he was just floating that flop with something like ace high and I was praying for the ace to hit on the turn. Instead, the six of spades fell, putting two spades on the board. Since I felt he was floating to take it away on the turn, I went ahead and checked to let him bluff at it (if that was his plan) or value bet if he had a pair. Coulthard bet 450,000 and I really felt that he was pot committed. I shoved in for 395,000 more. He folded and I took down a 1.2 million pot that put me among the chip leaders at the table and crippled a pretty big stack and very tough player.""

I'm interested in everyone's opinion as to the WHY of this play... seriously. Those of you seasoned tourney players [live or otherwise] MUST be able to explain this to me. Thanks!

Well there was a couple factors here. There are still eight players left in the tournament and none of them want to go home, and probably most especially so Melvin Jones who happens to be in the BB when Hinkle is on the cutoff. Melvin Jones i not a pro, he's a guy who works in a Cake Mix factory who can probably quit his job if he wins this event. This is lkely the easiest blind on the table and Hinkle must feel he can out play him after the flop.

Coulthard smooth call from the button was obviously problematic and Hinkle might chose to shut down if the flop is A Q T or something similar.. or might take a small stab at a flop like this if he feels the chances Coulthard has an under pair or a mid connector are likely enough, but would almost certainly abort mission if called on a flop bet.

The way he explains his decisions is solid.. Hinkle played really strong poker I read each of the hands there but this was one of many I obviously did not know what he had. Anyways his aggression helped him get paid off several times and he'd also get caught a couple times and get some nice suck outs as well but still reading the logs I thought his poker was solid throughout.

Besides all this: If you play super tight and only top X% of hands you stand little chance of winning the tournament, because each time you raise players will fold.

I was just reading live updates earlier and and Tongi took durrr off the final table when his 23 beat durrr's pocket deuces that was a short stack situation though so obviously different, but there are plenty of other examples in the live updates logs i'm sure.

Well I understand... that he was playing the table.. not the cards.. but I guess I don't understand the concept of handing over chips without a solid hand. Yet. LOL

Like I said.. that's why *I* am not there. LOL

From Event 9

The tournament would finally reach heads up play after hand #208 played out like this:
Nathan Templeton raised to 85K from the button, Devin Porter called all in for 33K and Rep Porter called. The board ran 2c As 4c Qc 7s both players had checked till Templeton bet 100K on the river and Porter folded. Devin showed Ad 8s for a flopped pair of aces, but saw the bad news when Nathan tabled 7 4 for a rivered two pair. Devin Porter headed to the rail in 3rd place to collect his $151,842 prize.