Poker Hand Of The Week -- 11/17/12

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 sitting at the final table and there are four players remaining. With blinds at 25,000-50,000 with a 5,000 ante and a stack of 2,640,000, you are in second place.

You look down at 55 and min-raise on the button to 100,000. The chip leader, who holds over 60 percent of the chips in play, calls from the small blind. The player in third place, with a stack of 1,520,000, calls from the big blind.

The flop comes down 882 and both of your opponents check. You continue with a bet of 165,000. The small blind folds and the big blind check-raises to 370,000.

Your opponent has 1,045,000 behind. The short stack, not involved in the hand, is sitting with 865,000.

The Questions

Do you call, raise or fold? If calling, what is your plan for the turn? What cards are you looking to see that will allow you to continue in the hand? If raising, how much? What types of hands could your opponent be holding? Do you anticipate your raise getting a flush draw to call or fold? If folding, why?

Byron Kaverman

At the World Poker Tour Jacksonville Fall Poker Scramble, Hans Winzeler continued with a bet of 165,000 on a flop of 8 8 2. Noah Schwartz folded and Byron Kaverman check-raised to 370,000.

Winzeler called and the turn was the seemingly innocent 10. Kaverman bet 380,000 and Winzeler called. The river was the 8 and Kaverman took his time before moving all in for 615,000.

Winzeler eventually called and mucked when Kaverman turned over 10 8 for quad eights.

Winzeler never recovered and was eliminated in fourth place, cashing for $106,848. Kaverman made it to heads-up play, busting in second place for $236,592. Schwartz picked up his first WPT title at his fourth final-table appearance, earning a career high $402,970.

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.

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