PokerEncore.com’s Karl Mahrenholz tests out your poker skills with this tough hand from a recent major tournament. Can you work out the best move?
EVENT: £1,000+£80
GUKPT Luton
STACK: 60,000
BLINDS: 500/1,000/a100
This hand comes from the first level of Day 2 in the GUKPT Luton main event. The average stack is around 50k and levels are 60 minutes long. There are around 80 players left with 23 getting paid. The table is a good mix of local players and circuit pros. The Villain in this hand is a professional player who was on my table for most of Day 1. He played very aggressively, especially in position. I called him down light in one of the hands we played together towards the end of the first day and generally I didn’t give him much credit.
In this hand the action is folded to the player in mid-position who raises to 2,200. The Villain calls on the button (from a stack of 75,000) and, after the small blind folds, I put in the extra from the big blind with Q♣-8♣. The flop is Q-7-2 rainbow. I lead out for 2,500 into 8,000, the original raiser folds and the player on the button calls.
The turn is the J♣ giving me a flush draw. I check, expecting my opponent to bet, but he checks behind. The river is an offsuit Nine and I bet 5,000 into 13,000. After a short think my opponent raises to 23,000. What is my best play and why?
Send your answer to us by email (pokerplayer@plyp.co.uk) or via Twitter @PokerPlayer365. The first correct answer drawn at random will receive a pack of PokerPlayer playing cards. Closing date for entries is December 17. The solution (and the winner) will appear here on December 27.
