Third pair on paired board, high stakes no limit

DailyHandQuiz

Game type: 300/600 No Limit, Full Tilt Poker
Your image: Solid, tricky
Opponent’s image: A little wild
Your hand: 9♠6♥

This hand is based on one that took place between Phil Galfond and David Benyamine. You’ll be standing in for Galfond Thanks to high stakes report for the hand history.

The setup: You have a slight lead so far over Benyamine in this match, which isn’t bad as you lost a significant pot early and have chipped back.

This hand you raise to 3x from the SB and Benyamine calls. You flop bottom pair on a paired board:

J♥J♠9♦

Benyamine checks and you bet $2400. Benyamine calls. The turn brings the K♦. Benyamine checks and you check behind. The river bricks with the 5h.

Now Benyamine leads for $6,600, $1800 under pot. What’s your play?

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9 COMMENTS (Jump to comment form)

DHQ Staff

That was a nasty turn for you, as it completes a possible draw and pairs a card that Benyamine would have likely floated you with.

It seems like one of those situations where Benyamine is either whooping you or has complete air. There’s not much reason for him to bet a 9 here, and there’s not much of a reason for him to value bet a pair weaker than 9. So either he hit the turn or just floated you with an Ax on the flop and is trying to pick up the pot.

A lot of people will be tempted to call here because you showed weakness on the turn, but I think you’re up against a real hand more often than a float here, and you can safely release. If Benyamine is encouraged to continue to take this line with air out of position, you’ll end up making your money back and then some over the course of the session.

What actually happened: Galfond called and Benyamine showed A3s for ace high.

[Reply]

5types

Totally read dependent.

Early in a match with no real reads its an easy fold for me. If it went on and you caught similar bluffs out then third pair can be (still not an easy) call.

[Reply]

jhs

call:- benyamine has been off form of late and its either a monster or nothin, lookin at the bet i wud say is nothing, if he is slowplaying well played to u sir and lets go but it just doesnt look that way if u show strength on the flop

[Reply]

kaimano

In my opinion he usually has air. He hasn’t a jack or he’d have bet the turn, he doesn’t have a nine as he wouldn’t bet the river so strong, he hasn’t hit his draw as it would have been a shot too long…I think he has seen our bet on the flop as a steal attempt on a paired flop and now tries to buy the pot with a probably ace-high (I swear, I thought this BEFORE reading what actually happened). The only card he may have hit is the king…too little for folding. I call and at least he will know he can’t bluff me.

[Reply]

Anonymous

i put him either on a K or air, as he would have bet somewhere if he had a J or 9. leaning towards a K though

[Reply]

OnlinePokerIncome.com

This situation happens all the time playing heads up, and whether or not you will be successful depends on how you handle it. It really comes down to how the game has been going and what mood you perceive your opponent to be in at the moment – along with how you think he thinks you are playing.

I recommend only playing this hand suited in heads up matches.

[Reply]

Anonymous

Benyamine would have bet on the turn if he had a king or pocket pair, to gauge his hand against ours.

Since we checked behind on the turn, Benyamine is having a crack at the river with his ace high. He knows that we dont have the J or K.

[Reply]

Chad Gerson

Why so many HU hand quizzes? They’re normally not too interesting. No offense.

[Reply]

Billy

if he hits the king on the turn he would definitely bet out. doesnt want a lone Q or T drawing to a straight for free and he’d also like to find out if you by any chance led with a J (if you’re playing “tricky).

Doesnt really seem to be much value in the 80% pot bet… if he had a J it would be much closer to 50%… and I’d still call.

[Reply]