Give us your opinion in the comments section below for your chance at winning a six-month Card Player magazine digital subscription.
Ask any group of poker players how you played your hand and they’ll come up with dozens of different opinions. That’s just the nature of the game.
Each week, Card Player will select a hand from the high-stakes, big buy-in poker world, break it down and show that there’s more than one way to get the job done.
The Scenario
You are among the final two for a major tournament title and so far, during your brief time playing heads-up, your opponent has gotten the better of you.
With a stack 69.6 million, you have nearly 35 big blinds. Your opponent, with 128.6 million, has just over 64 big blinds.
Your opponent has the button and min-raises to 4 million. With Q
J, you decide to three-bet to 9.5 million. Your opponent then puts you all in for your last 59.8 million.
The Questions
Do you call or fold? Do you regret three-betting out of position? Would flatting have been a better option? Are you calling here every time you think your two cards are live or only when you think you have the best of it? If folding, what would be your strategy now down 2-1 in your heads-up match?
What Actually Happened
This hand should feel pretty familiar to anyone who watch the finale of the 2012 World Series of Poker main event final table. Much to everyone’s surprise, Jesse Sylvia called all in holding Q J, and was fortunate to be drawing live against Greg Merson’s K
5.
Unfortunately for the Martha’s Vineyard native, the board ran out 9 6
3
6 7, giving the title and the $8,531,853 first-place prize to Merson. Sylvia earned $5,295,149 for his runner-up finish.
What would you have done and why? Let us know in the comments section below and try not to be results oriented. The best answer will receive a six-month Card Player magazine digital subscription.
