Poker Hand of the Week: 11/6/15

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 heads up for a big international tournament title, and have about a 4-1 chip lead on your opponent. The blinds are 50,000-100,000 with a 10,000 ante, making your stack of 15,815,000 worth about 158 big blinds. Your opponent sits with 3,715,000, or 37 big blinds.

You’ve already made a deal that has locked up €444,300, but there is still €90,000 left on the side for the winner, along with the prestige of the tournament title.

Your opponent raises on the button to 250,000 and you call from the small blind with 65. The flop comes down A76 and you check. Your opponent continues with a bet of 300,000 and you call.

The turn is the 5, giving you bottom two pair. You check, and your opponent bets 650,000. He has 2,505,000 behind.

The Questions

Do you call, raise or fold? If raising, how much? Are you raising for value or to protect your hand? How does position affect your decision? How does the stack sizes affect your decision? If calling, what is your plan for the river? Which river cards would you bet? Which river cards would you check-call? Are there any river cards that you would check-fold?

What Actually Happened

In the 2015 EPT Malta main event, Niall Farrell opted to just call with his 65 on a board reading A765.

The river was the Q and he checked once again. His opponent, Alen Bilic, moved all in for his last 2,505,000 and Farrell took his time before calling. Bilic could only show down 82 for a busted straight and flush draw and Farrell won the tournament-clinching pot.

For his runner-up showing, Bilic took home €440,000. Farrell was awarded €534,300, and the title of EPT champion.

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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