Daily Hand Quiz

The best part of the hand is when the BB checks the minraise. I’d like to that too, when I’m BB, but I just don’t get a check button.

Formerly I tended to check in these spots, but I do bet here nowadays in tourneys. Actually we crush BB’s range: overpairs would’ve reraised. If he was slowplaying j7, j9, t8 that sucks but it shouldn’t happen often.

My best guess is that BB played with a pair+GS type hand that missed the straight. That hand won’t be able to call a big bet (which must be an all-in if you consider the pot size), but might feel that he has to make the crying call if we throw out a small bet. Betting like 300k commits us for sure, but might make BB call with worse.

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Voted to bet under half the pot. I’d make it 375K and give ~4-1 to V.

There is risk in a limped pot, however, I think you need to value bet here. I think a set or 2-pr is going to c-r the turn, especially considering stack size diff and hero’s tight image (QQ+ would likely go AI).

A danger is certainly 86 which would have called the flop/turn, however I don’t think the V would risk losing value by checking trips. A larger sample of their calling range is Jx and 9x. I doubt the latter would call, but fairly sure the former would.

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The pot size on the flop suggests we limped rather than min-raised, so the BB did indeed check.
I was thinking the same thing as Morat about villain’s likely holding, a pair of jacks with some outs to a straight.

A smallish bet here with our stack size says we’ll call any raise, and he can’t not call with TP.

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Agree with all above. Surprised that lead small is 3rd in voting but all comments support it. I could maybe see checking here for preservation but not leading large where I think we get called only by a better hand for major -ev.

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Call me crazy but I shove. I get the feeling the SB is trying to hero call us so I like continuing with our “triple barrel bluff” line. The turn and river were total blanks so as far as I’m concerned we either had it on the flop or we didn’t. (Well, except we sucked out on 97, which is a small bonus.)

Shovity shove shove.

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John Kugelman Reply:
September 30th, 2010 at 6:24 am

^^^ me

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Well I’m sure most people might think that I’m losing value by checking as well on the river – but I’ll be happy to take the almost 1.2 mil in the pot with my top/top. If I tried to value bet small and the villain goes over the top all in, then I’m hating life. I’d for sure think I was beat but then I’d be the one feeling priced in and would probably have to call. No need for me to get greedy here. Winning this pot would give me about 2 mil to work with with only 47 players left and that sounds good to me.

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Check.

I do realize that most of the time we lose some value by checking behind, but this is small bubble, i.e. survival has some additional value. If we have the best hand, great, we got value PF and on two streets.

I do like my hand but I’d be very far from ecstatic if our small lead gets check-raised by BB.

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i put him with a A8 or A10 looking for the straight. i do not put him on 79 with 2 pairs as he would have reraised on the flop. this is y i would put in more than half the pot. if he was slow playing he would have raised on the river unless he was sure that i would raise and this i would not think so.

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He has checked his option, checked 3 times in a row, only putting more money in when forced to. He has shown zero resistance, and has been content with seeing free cards and getting to the end for cheap. I think this is exactly like jacks plus a gutter draw. We have no reason to think we have the best hand, and the river 6 basically sealed our hand, because if he had a straight he had it from the flop, the 6 is irrelevant to it. And if he has it, so be it.

Throw a little bet out there. He obviously like his jack cuz it took it to the end. I’m guessing JT is likely, I think a worse jack may have folded by now, but T is a decent kick too vs. a limper range. We easily could have slipped in early with JT, 9T. Even at QJ he is going to think he is good.

Given that he has called all the way to the end, shown zero resistance, now checked a 4th time in a row now, we have no reason to think he won’t call a small river bet. Plus his calling range is pretty huge if we go small enough.

Bet small, and expect to see JT or J8. Maybe even J5 after the turn call. And when he calls and you scoop the goods, that extra little cherry on top at the end will make you smile a lot more. Trust me.

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In fact, this hand brings back some painful memories.. I was playing a big $1,000 live tourney, 2 day event and antes had just kicked in. I was at about M 12. MP limped and I limped at CO with Jc9c. Button and SB fold, BB checks.

And flop comes exactly like this, J97 rainbow, one club. Now BB leads for about half a pot and MP limper raises. What do you do?

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samo Reply:
September 30th, 2010 at 5:28 pm

If the MP raised 3x and my math is correct, there are about 11bbs + antes in the pot. I think you can call and still ~half stack left, no? If much less, I think you are committed to RAI my friend.

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catcher Reply:
October 1st, 2010 at 9:45 am

Yes, you’re right, calling was about half of my stack and I figured that if I call, I will be committed anyway, so I raise all in. BB gets out, MP flips over Th8h for flopped straight. Turn brings 4c for flush draw but river is a brick and I am out.

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I’ll raise about 300k and fold to a re-raise. I think He’s got something like A9 or K9 and didn’t believe that we have a Jack here, so bet small and hope Villain calls with lower pair..

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