What’s Your Play? Street-by-Street at the WSOP Main Event, Part 1: The Flopby Andrew Brokos | Published: Mar 19, '12 
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This week’s What’s Your Play? is a little different, in that it’s the first in a series of three posts about the same hand. Rather than asking you to discuss a plan for the entire hand, I’m going to start the discussion with a flop decision. Of course you may still choose to speak broadly about how possible future action influences your flop decision, but you won’t need to consider every possible turn scenario, because next week we’ll find out what exactly happens on the turn and discuss that particular situation in-depth. Make sense? Here we go!
It’s early on Day 5 of the WSOP main event. We’re in the shallow money, with 574 players remaining out of 7319, and Hero’s table draw is a great one for such a late day in the tournament, featuring several pretty weak amateurs. Hero (me, in my late twenties with dark sunglasses and no logos on my clothing) begins the hand with a slightly below average stack of 500K. Blinds are at 4K/8K/1K.
One of the weak players, a guy about my age sitting on a stack of about 450K, raises to 20K in first position. I call with 2c 2h in middle position, and a middle-aged player new to the table and sitting on 600K calls in the big blind. The three of us see a 7s 4s 2d flop, and both of my opponents check relatively quickly. What’s your play and why?
Post your thoughts in the comments section below. I’ll be back with my thoughts, as well as the flop action and the turn card (don’t think I’m giving away too much by revealing that Hero does not fold the flop), on Friday.
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Comments
answer20
1 year ago
Ah, the feeling of bottom set in position!! So many ways to go and yet you want to maximize the results. The key here is having position on the other players so you can mask the strength of your hand .... especially when you get a check-check to you on the Flop.
Your opponents have 2 vastly different ranges here. A 1st position raise is supposed to mean some kind of decent holding. Anything from a pocket pair to Broadway cards and maybe even suited connectors, but from a weak player the range should be fairly small in 1st position ... and it could be golden here if they are sitting on a higher pocket pair.
A BB smooth call from a new player probably means he wants to play a pot getting 5:1 on his chips so he can get a feel for the action. This actually is a bigger worry in this hand due a wider range that a BB can call with here. This is a perfect 'BB special' Flop.
Taking into account the 2 different types of hands we are against ... in other words they shouldn't be sharing cards or even draws ... I would certainly bet my position (not my hand) if I have the proper image to do so (lots of previous continuation bets and/or steals in position). If my image is tight, then I might consider a Check here but a bet is way more appropriate with the potential of a 'free' straight or flush card out there ... or even a higher set.
Now, what size is our bet? Since the BB is to act first after my bet and he is more likely the person with a draw I can lose to I may want to price him out of the hand (or barely into it) so I can attack what I hope is an over-pair. BB will have to assess whether or not the other player will call to price himself into a call with any bet over 45,000 into 75,000+45000 (2.5 the original raise of 20K).
I am a favorite against any hand except 2, even 5-6 spade is behind slightly, so I want to keep the hand going as sets don't come around very often, but maybe not against 2 opponents. We are in the money and play is supposed to be loose, but we can't expect the weak player to call a large bet unless he has something to go with so we do need to size the bet to keep the BB in the hand in order to maximize the pot ... and hope for the check raise from the pre-flop opener. So I think a bet of 30,000 to 36,000 would do the trick here. It could get a call from the BB, but if he folds it should keep the opener in the hand or induce more flop action.
If we do get a check-raise to 80-100K, then call and see a Turn as Mr. Weak is probably on a draw and wants to see how serious you are in your bet. Check raise of 120-200K probably indicates what you want him to have, being an over-pair bet trying to price you out of your draw, and you can shove what he thinks is a foolish draw price. You have to sweat the 2 hands you are behind to or most draws that will fail. Worst case is both fold and you weren't going to get much else out of the hand unless they went runner runner something.
George3
1 year ago
How are you going to get a check raise here? If the original raiser has an over pair he is betting the flop, not checking. And the BB is certainly not going to check raise with middle or bottom pair. Top pair is about the only hand he might check raise with, but even that is much more likely to have bet instead.
The play is to bet small, no more than half the pot.
hishga
1 year ago
BOMB it IN there!!! ALL IN!!! He had Aces and he will call!!!
jtang
1 year ago
With the 2 quick checks I would think with that board - I can't see that board connecting with the other 2 callers - and the 22 is here is a juicy holding .. the original raiser we could probably assume has AJ-AK range here and I can't seem him checking with 99-AA, he missed the flop and you make a bet here and he has 2 overs and said I'm going to look up the turn...Obviously a flush draw but he would Cbet that...so I rule that out..
if he check raises you then you got him in a perfect situation because it's safe to say over pair and your 222 is dominating..
I have a feeling the 3rd player in the hand - does something crazy.. he's on the draw and all hell breaks loose - with your set and a over pair...