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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
You are heads up for a tournament title and have a chip lead of 5,165,000 to 2,135,000. You are seen as an aggressive, yet very accomplished player.
Your opponent limps in on the button and you check your option while holding 4
2
. The flop comes down K
5
3 and you check, hoping to check-raise.
Instead, your opponent opts to check behind and the turn is the K, pairing the board. You fire in a bet of 125,000 with your open-ended straight draw and your opponent suddenly raises to 325,000.
You make the call and the river is the 6, completing your straight. Your opponent has 1,720,000 behind.
The Questions
Do you bet, check-call, or check-raise? How do you extract the most value from your opponent? If betting, how much and what kinds of hands do you expect to be called by? Given the action so far, how likely is it that your opponent will bet if checked to? How likely is it that your opponent will check behind for a free showdown? If check-raising, is there any hand your opponent can call a raise with that you can beat? If you decide to bet and you are raised by your opponent, can you call?
What Actually Happened
Facing a decision holding 4 2 on a board reading K 5 3 K 6 at the World Series of Poker Circuit main event in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Blair Hinkle opted to check to his opponent, Brendan Waite.
Waite bet 420,000, leaving himself with just 1,300,000 behind. Hinkle moved all in and after a long time in the tank, Waite made the call holding 7 6 for second pair.
Waite was eliminated and earned $74,881. Hinkle earned his second WSOP Circuit title and the $121,177 first-place prize.
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.
