A Hand Matchup from the 2009 PokerStars EPT London
Marty Smyth	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 770,000	41.21%	29.19%	27.27%	Winner!
Raymond Wu	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 1,750,000	58.16%	70.81%	72.73%

Posted On: Oct 16, 2009

Outcome

With the blinds at 20,000-40,000 with a 4,000 ante, Wu raised to 100,000, Smyth called in the big blind. On the flop, Smyth checked, Wu bet 95,000, Smyth went all in, Wu called.

Analysis

Smyth defended his blind with his suited Broadway cards, and his hand configured tightly with the flop's potential flush and gutshot-straight opportunities. Since his opponent would likely make a continuation-bluff as the preflop raiser, the situation was favorable to execute a check-raise semi-bluff. Wu actually had the one hand Smyth didn't want to be up against, and he bet the flop rather than take the free card. Smyth sprung his all-in check-raise, leaving Wu with a substantial call with unfavorable pot odds. Wu actually had the best hand, but he must have hoped his ace was a live out, along with the spades, when he committed a substantial fraction of his stack on the call. The turn improved Smyth's straight draw to be open-ended, but it was the river that paired his kicker as he avoided elimination with the dramatic double-up. Smyth went on to finish in 10th, for £38,000 ($60,534), while Wu's seventh-place finish earned him £87,000 ($138,590).

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