Part: Part Thirteen - Miscellaneous

Folding aces in a satellite

Pre-flop
Blinds 400 / 800Pot 8,000 (10 BB)Satellite • 10 seats, 11 left • you're safeBBA♠A♦● 35,000 (43.8 BB)YOUyou're safely in a seatCO● 6,000 (7.5 BB)Short stackall-in 6,000 (7.5 BB)SBfoldsD

It's a satellite: the top 10 stacks each win an identical seat, and 11 players remain. You're comfortably third in chips. A short stack jams, the small blind folds, and you look down at A♠A♦ in the big blind.

Satellite, you're safely in a seat, and a short stack jams into your pocket aces. Best?

WhyFold. In a satellite, extra chips are worthless - every seat pays exactly the same - but busting costs you the seat entirely. If folding keeps you safely in a seat-winning spot, you fold even pocket aces. Calling risks everything to win chips you can't use.
What happensYou fold aces and keep your seat.  Survival is the only currency in a satellite.
Satellites flip normal logic: because every seat pays the same, chips you win are worthless and busting is catastrophic - so you fold even aces when folding locks the prize.

In a satellite, survival is everything - fold even premium hands when getting it in risks a seat you'd otherwise lock by folding.