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 four-handed in a tournament and are basically tied for second place with 2,605,000 in chips (65 big blinds). There is one short stack remaining with 845,000 in chips (21 big blinds).
The short stack raises to 80,000 and it folds to you in the small blind. You look down at 8
6 and decide to three-bet to 210,000. Your opponent calls and the flop comes down A J
3, giving you a flush draw.
You continuation bet 175,000 and your opponent moves all in for 630,000. The pot currently has 675,000 in it plus the additional 455,000 to call. If you call and win, you’ll be in a dead heat with the chip leader. If you call and lose, you’ll be nearly tied for the short stack, but will still have 43 big blinds.
The payouts for the four remaining prizes are as follows: 4th — $46,579, 3rd — $62,733, 2nd — $85,852 and 1st — $138,938.
The Questions
Do you call or fold? What kind of price do you need to be getting on your flush draw in order for a call to be profitable and what kind of price are you currently getting? How does ICM (Independent Chip Model) play into your decision? If calling, do you regret your continuation bet size on the flop? Would shoving have been a better play to maximize fold equity?
What Actually Happened
After thinking it over for a few moments, Kevin Eyster reluctantly called with his flush draw on a board of A J 3 and his opponent, Jerry Johnson, turned over A 5
for top pair.
The turn and river came 2 9 and Eyster took the pot. Johnson was eliminated from the WSOP Circuit main event at The Lodge Casino in Blackhawk, Colorado in fourth place, earning $46,579. Eyster went on to finish runner-up, earning $85,852.
The winner was Jonathan Taylor, who picked up $138,938 and his third WSOP Circuit ring.
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.
