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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
Sitting in second place at a four-handed final table, you are sitting in the big blind with 7
6
. The button, a young, aggressive pro, limps in and the small blind folds. You’ve got about 40 big blinds behind and your opponent has about 17.
You decide to check your option and the flop comes down 8 7 5, giving you middle pair and an open-ended straight draw. You check, your opponent bets 70,000 and you check-raise to 190,000. He calls and the turn is the A, giving you a flush draw as well.
The action is back on you and your opponent has 495,000 remaining in his stack.
The Questions
Do you check or bet? If you bet, how much? If you check, do you call or fold to a bet from your opponent? Based on your line, is there any way you can represent that ace on the turn? Based on your opponent’s line, what types of hands are in his range?
The Argument For Check Folding
You’ve picked up another draw on the turn to go with your pair and straight draw, but there’s no guarantee that you aren’t already drawing slim or even dead. Your opponent called a check raise on the flop, signifying strength and the ace on the turn definitely hits part of that range. You have 1,395,000 remaining in your stack and should save it for a better spot if your opponent does decide to fire.
The Argument For Check Calling
Because your opponent limped in from the button, he has a much wider range than usual. The A on the turn makes your hand weaker, but it doesn’t mean your hand can’t win a showdown or that your outs aren’t live. Then again, there’s always a chance your opponent checks behind, allowing you to see the river for free.
The Argument For Betting
Your hand doesn’t play well unless you are the aggressor. Yes, there is a chance that you could be running into a made hand, but a strong turn bet might also get hands that include an 8 to fold. Unfortunately, there isn’t much room to bet fold, so the betting will require that you move all in.
What Actually Happened
At the €25,000 High Roller at the EPT Grand Final on a board reading 8 7 5 A, Justin Bonomo moved all in holding 7 6 and his opponent, Igor Kurganov, made the call.
Kurganov showed Q 2, meaning Bonomo was drawing dead. The inconsequential river was the 7
and Kurganov doubled up. Kurganov went on to win the title, defeating Daniel Negreanu heads-up for the €1,080,000 first-place prize.
Bonomo went out in fourth place, cashing for €266,000 and capping off an amazing trip which saw him also win the €100,000 buy-in Super High Roller and make a deep run in the main event.
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.
