Part: Part Thirteen - Miscellaneous

Whether to make a deal

Pre-flop
Blinds 400 / 800Pot 1,200 (1.5 BB)Final 3 • big pay jumps • stacks evenBTN● 40,000 (50 BB)YOUdeal under discussionSB● 38,000 (47.5 BB)Player 2~1/3 of chipsBB● 42,000 (52.5 BB)Player 3~1/3 of chipsD

You're down to the final three. Stacks are roughly even, big pay jumps remain, and you have no clear skill edge. The other two propose an even chip-chop deal.

Final three, even stacks, big pay jumps, no real edge - they offer a deal. Best?

WhyWhen your stacks are level and the money left to climb is real, three-handed play is mostly a coinflip from here - no ordinary skill edge overcomes that much variance. Locking in a fair share of the pool now captures money you would otherwise gamble away, so hear the deal out and take it unless you can honestly say you are the best player left by a wide margin.
What happensYou weigh your edge against the swings, and a fair chop protects the equity you have already fought to earn.
Certainty has a price, and it is often worth paying: with even stacks, big jumps ahead, and no standout edge, banking equity beats gambling it - refuse only when you are clearly the strongest player left.

A deal makes sense when variance dwarfs your edge - level stacks and steep pay jumps favor locking in money; only a decisive skill advantage justifies playing on.