Poker Hand Matchup: Daniel Cates vs. Seth Davies
Daniel Cates	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 6,880,000	41.45 %	39.8 %	15.91 %	Winner!
Seth Davies	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 3,560,000	58.06 %	60.2 %	84.09 %

Posted On: Aug 29, 2023

Outcome

Preflop, with 11 players remaining, a five-handed table, and blinds of 40,000-80,000 with a big blind ante of 80,000, Daniel Cates limped in from under the gun. Seth Davies checked his option from the big blind. On the flop Davies checked, and Cates bet 100,000. Davies called. On the turn Davies checked, and Cates bet 375,000. Davies check-raised to 1,200,000, and Cates called. On the river Davies checked, and Cates bet 1,850,000. Davies folded.

Analysis

Dan Cates has played cash games at the highest stakes, both live and online, and also took down consecutive WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship titles in 2021 and 2022. The contender known to most as ‘Jungleman,’ who was the chip leader at the time, kicked this hand off with a limp as the first to act with 5-4 suited. It folded around to WPT champion Seth Davies, who checked his option with A-6. Both players connected with the flop. Davies checked and Cates took a small stab with his flush draw. Davies came along with bottom pair and turned trip sixes. He checked again and Cates sized up a bit, firing 375,000 into the pot of 480,000. This semi-bluff was likely targeting folds from Davies’ weaker 10-X and ace-high combos. Instead, it was met with a check-raise for roughly a third of Davies’ remaining stack. Despite having just a low flush draw with no showdown value to speak of, Cates made the call. “This looks like a 6-X or nothing spot to Jungleman, it seems, hence him calling,” said Triton Poker commentator Randy Lew. “He might be thinking, ‘If my opponent is bluffing, he’ll just have to give up when I bet-call this turn.’” The river brought another heart, completing Cates’ flush. Davies was out of position with less than a pot-sized bet remaining. Despite having trips, he likely felt as if he was in no man’s land given how the hand had played out. He checked to Cates, who went for nearly all of it, betting 1,850,000 into 2,880,000. Davies’ huge hand from the turn now could really only beat a bluff. Davies must have decided that Cates didn’t have enough bluffs in his range to make a call profitable, as he ultimately decided to lay his hand down. Davies went on to finish 10th for $360,000, while Cates added to his chip lead as the final table approached.