Your call: Karl Mahrenholz at the GPS Sheffield

 

This hand was played by someone sitting next to me at the recent GPS event in Sheffield. I found it interesting the way it played out. A young player opened in early position to 700 from a stack of 40,000. He had been fairly active since recently joining the table and had lost his first three-bet pot without showdown.

 

The player two seats down called, playing 25,000. This player was a middle-aged local who had been at the table since we started. The small blind called from a stack of 55k and then the player in the big blind raised to 2,800 from a stack of 24,000. The original raiser folded, the next player called and the small blind passed. The squeezer in the big blind had also been at the table since the start of play and had been playing mostly quite solidly, although not many hands had been shown. He seemed to play quite fit or fold after the flop when he didn’t have the initiative. He wasn’t a professional player and not someone I had played with before.

 

The flop was J-T-3 with a diamond flush draw. The big blind c-bet 4,000 and his opponent called. The turn paired the 3, bringing a second flush draw. Both players checked. The river paired the Jack and completed the flush draw from the flop. The big blind now moved all-in for 17,200 into a pot of 15,225. His opponent has him covered by 1,000. What would you do here with the nut flush – call or fold?

 

Last Month

A great flop for Karl turns into a sticky situation on the river

 

I raised to 405 from the hijack with A-K. Both players in the blinds called. I had noted both were active players. The flop came A♦-3♦-3♠ with a diamond flush draw. The pot was 1,215 and both players checked. I bet 499 and the SB was the only caller. He started the hand with 16,000 in chips. The turn was an offsuit Jack. He checked, I bet 1,400 and he check-raised to 2,800. I called and the river was an offsuit 6. He bet 8,200, which was enough to put me all-in. What is my best play – call or fold? 

 

The line he has taken is classic nuts or nothing. When he calls I’d assume he has a hand with good equity. Broadway cards and suited connectors are likely, pocket pairs and decent Aces also possible, although some of these would likely have been three-bet. Check-calling the A-3-3 flop would mean for most players either a hand like A-T or a pocket pair that is calling because they realise I’m going to c-bet that board a lot. I bet small to try to induce as it’s very hard for me not to have the best hand. I only lose to slow played Aces or A-3s. When he check-raises me the minimum on the turn I would be worried about a monster if this was a weak opponent. However, this line looks so strong that a competent player would not want to play his strong hands in this way. When he set me all-in there was a chance of a turned J-J but it seemed likely A-K was the best hand here. I called and won against K-Ts.