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 heads-up for a mid-stakes regional tournament title. You are guaranteed to make about $70,000, but the winner will get $113,000. With 5,110,000 in chips, you have the lead over your opponent who holds 1,310,000. The blinds are 25,000-50,000 with a 5,000 ante, giving you 102 big blinds to work with.
Your opponent limps in from the button and you check your option with Q
J
. The flop comes down A
108
, giving you a double gutted straight draw. You check, and your opponent bets 75,000.
You decide to call, and the turn is the J, giving you second pair to go along with your straight draw. You check again, and your opponent bets 325,000. He has 855,000 behind.
The Questions
Do you call or raise? How likely is it that your opponent has an ace given his preflop action? Is your pair good, or will you need to rely on the river to make your hand? Do you have any fold equity? If calling, what is your plan if you make your hand on the river? Will you bet for value, or check, hoping to induce a bet? If you miss the river will you still call a bet thinking you can win at showdown?
What Actually Happened
At the WSOP Circuit main event at Horseshoe Council Bluffs, Maurice Hawkins bet 325,000 on a board reading A10J and his opponent, Ryan Phan, opted to check-raise all in with QJ.
Hawkins immediately called with KQ for a straight, leaving Phan drawing to a chop. The river was the A, however, Hawkins doubled up.
Hawkins would soon double up again and then ultimately take down the tournament for the $113,152 first-place prize. Phan picked up $69,962 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.
