At the CoinPoker Mid-Stakes Cash Game World Championship, “sherrysweet” played an overpair that turned into second pair for max value.
In a very ambitious and theoretically sound effort, “sherrysweet” played arguably one of the most impressive hands of the online poker competition thus far.
Action
Playing three-handed at $2-$5 stakes with a $500 max buy-in, “sherrysweet” raised to $12.50 on the button with 8
8
. “Venator” three-bet to $75 from the small blind and “sherrysweet” called.
The flop came 754
and “Venator” checked. “sherrysweet” bet $51.15, and “Venator” called.
The turn brought the J and, after “Venator” checked, “sherrysweet” bet $158.65, and “Venator” called.
The river was the J
and “sherrysweet” went all in for $645.42. “Venator” called and mucked his hand. “sherrysweet” won $1,865.44 with two pair.
Analysis
Since we don’t know what “Venator” had, we can only theorize and analyze the moves that “sherrysweet” pulled off.
After standard preflop action, solvers say that “Venator” should check his entire range on the flop. The machine typically has aggressors that are out of position check their entire range on middling connected flops.
With a vulnerable overpair, a gutshot straight draw and a backdoor flush draw, “sherrysweet” had a nice betting opportunity. Since equities and range advantages are close, the solvers want to choose a smaller bet size.
“sherrysweet” bet $51,15, or a 33% pot-sized bet, and “Venator” called. It’s worth noting that a solver doesn’t have “Venator” raising very many hands in this spot.
On the turn, many players would check their eights here, but “sherrysweet” make
s a great bet. The solver prefers betting either 75% or 125% pot holding the 8 and checking back without it. “sherrysweet” bet roughly 62% and “Venator” called.
The river paired the board and “sherrysweet” made a solver-approved overbet jam. In theory, this merged jam gets some better hands to fold and some worse hands to call.
Hands like 8-7 suited, 7-6 suited, 6-5 suited should theoretically call while hands like pocket nines, tens, queens, and kings should theoretically fold.
Given that “Venator” called and lost, we can assume they had one of the middling suited connectors.
Small Blind River Calling Range (GTO Wizard)
