Medium ace and flush draw against solid aggression

Thanks to HighStakesReport for the hand history.

Game type: 200/400 No Limit cash on Full Tilt Poker
Your image: Very Aggressive
Opponent’s image: A solid NL player
Your hand: A♣9♠

This hand is taken from actual game play at the 200/400 NL holdem table at Full Tilt. This hand took place between Brandon Adams and ‘LarsLuzak’ You’ll be standing in for Lars

You make a standard raise to $1400 with A♣9♠ and Brandon re-raises to $4800. You call and the flop brings you top pair and a medium flush draw:

A♠7♠3♠

Brandon leads out for $6800. You decide to just call. The turn is 2♣. Brandon now open pushes for about 25k. What’s your play?

11 COMMENTS (Jump to comment form)

Anonymous

“Is it unlikely that your opponent flopped the flush? Yes.” How do you explain this? Sure, the way he bets doesn’t scream: ‘I HAVE As Ks!!!’ but with three spades on the board and one more card to come, I don’t see how you can dismiss the fact that your opponent may have a flush.

Regardless, calling a 25k push with ONE PAIR is not a smart choice. And don’t even think about drawing to a 4 spade board for a medium flush.

Easy Fold

[Reply]

John B.

Fold. He bet just enough to make me go away.

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matt tag

I think the staff is saying it’s unlikely that the opponent has 2 spades in his hand, which I agree with.

I voted call, but I wasn’t thrilled about it.

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Joe

My actions will be affected by how many drinks I’ve had. If I’m sober I’m folding here. I’m either out kicked or completely dead.I will pick a better spot or take the 25k and by a camery for the wife.

[Reply]

Bob the builder

You gotta call here. There is no reason to induce that you are behind. Your image is hyper aggressive, remember? You don’t have to have an ace in this situation and neither does your opponent. Knowing this, he would or should play big PPs in this spot on this board as if you don’t have an ace. An all in turn bet is a scared bet looking to shut you out. He could easily have TT-KK, Ax, a high spade, maybe a pair and a spade. He doesn’t have a big flush nor a set. There is too good a chance your ace is actually good and he is the one drawing at the spade. The other side of the coin is the one that happens, he has a bigger ace and feared the spade, which you had. In that scenario, you have 9 outs to the flush and 3 to your kicker. 2-1 isn’t quite enough, if that was the only scenario in play, but it isn’t and in the other likely one you are ahead. So, make the call.

[Reply]

tips

barks expounding tarry mapping.machinery.Worcester swayed

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Adam

Very tough but I voted fold. The hardest thing to figure here is the standard continuation bet on the flop. He re-raised pre-flop so he must have some kind of hand, either a decent pair 88+ (in which case we’re ahead) or a good ace (in which case we’re behind, since it’s not likely to be A8 or lower). But pushing all-in on the turn when a total rag appears on the board suggests he’s got some kind of hand. My guess was a better ace, in which case we have 12 outs: 9 spades + 3 nines to make aces up. That’s not even considering the possibility that he holds a higher spade kicker. Either way, it’s not worth a call at less than 2:1.

Re: your image, anyone who even thinks about playing three-handed 200/400 no limit is “very aggressive” at the least.

Re: anonymous, the Ace of spades is on the board so he can’t have it in his hand.

[Reply]

onlinepokerincome.com

the second he pushed his stack in it was no longer “unlikely” he has the flush

anyway you want to BE the one taking somebody’s stack who only has one pair in NL cash games – not the poor schmuck who LOSES his stack with only one pair

[Reply]

drhoho

I am a total lowstakes cashgame donk, but someone once told me that when a LAG playes for all his stack, he has better than one pair.
In this hyper aggressive game that is probably exagerrating, but I think we are way behind.
Especially as villain cant expect to have FE.

I fold every time.

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Kevin

Im folding at this point.

I think it was a HUGE mistake not to push back on the flop.. Just making a standard re-reaise.

By reraising here you get information of what he has, you put in a nice blocking bet which makes it more likely that if he calls he checks the river, and you get to see the river for a lower price.

If he pushes back here you can safely get out. Sure if you do get resistance you may be losing more..but given the board i think its a rather safe play.

[Reply]

Wadallat

Opponent (a solid player) reraised me preflop. Probably, he has a better hand on the flop with pair of aces and K or Q kicker. (Maybe he has pocket aces) He mad 2/3 pot bet, and hero only calls, which represents a waiting hand. The turn is not scary, so he made a pot sized bet, against drawing hands. I think you should fold. He raised preflop, on the flop, and on the turn, and you only have AA with medium kicker, and if you play against the odds it’s possible you are drawing dead

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