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
There are 11 players remaining in an elite, big buy-in tournament. All of the remaining players are world class players, and although you have had your fair share of tournament success, you are known for being a much better cash game player.
With the blinds at 12,000-24,000 with a 3,000 ante and a stack of 1,794,000, you are currently the chip leader with nearly 75 big blinds. Only six players will make the money.
Sitting in early position at your six-handed table, you look down at 9
9
and open for a raise to 55,000. The player on the button, who has a stack of 1,274,000 and is in a virtual tie with three other players for second place, three-bets to 165,000. The blinds fold and you make the call.
The flop comes down 6
44
and you check. Your opponent bets 130,000 and you check-raise to 350,000. Your opponent calls.
The turn is the 6. Your opponent has 756,000 remaining in his stack.
The Questions
Do you check or bet? If checking, what is your plan if your opponent moves all in? What kind of hand is your opponent representing by three-betting preflop and calling your check-raise on the flop? If betting, how much? Are you betting for value or as a bluff? Can you possibly get a better hand to fold? What worse hands can you get to call?
What Actually Happened
At the $250,000 buy-in Aussie Millions Super High Roller, Tom Dwan decided to move all in holding 9 on a board reading 6446. His opponent, Isaac Haxton, immediately called all-in for less with his KK.
The river was the J and Haxton doubled up to the chip lead. Dwan was left with 517,000 and eventually finished in sixth place, earning AUD $500,000.
Haxton survived to heads-up play, busting in second place for AUD $2,820,000. The eventual winner was Phil Ivey, who won his second Aussie Millions Super High Roller title in three years, along with the AUD $4,000,000 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.
