Poker Hand Matchup: Daniel Strelitz vs. Russell Thomas
Daniel Strelitz	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 12,225,000	21.36 %	10.4 %	9.09 %
Russell Thomas	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 9,985,000	78.32 %	89.6 %	90.91 %	Winner!

Posted On: Oct 17, 2012

Outcome

With the blinds at 60,000 and 120,000 and a 15,000 ante, Strelitz raised to 240,000 from under the gun, Thomas called in early position, Scott Abrams called in the big blind. On the Flop, Abrams checked, Strelitz bet 345,000, Thomas called, Abrams folded. On the Turn, Strelitz bet 615,000, Thomas called. On the River, Strelitz checked, Thomas bet 925,000, Strelitz raised to 2,125,000, Thomas called.

Analysis

Thomas disguised the strength of his hand with his preflop smooth call in early position, setting up the aggressive Strelitz for a trap. Thomas was glad to see Abrams go away on the flop, leaving him heads-up in position against the preflop raiser. Strelitz’s initial bluff with just air was met with a call on the flop, while on the turn he picked up a gutshot straight draw and tried again. Another flat call from Thomas took them to the river, where it appeared Strelitz had given up on the hand. Thomas confidently bet his overpair for value, prompting Strelitz to submit a final bluff in the form of the river check-raise. With his comfortable chip position, well disguised holding, and easy pot odds Thomas would never fold Kings in this spot in spite of the potentially alarming check – raise. Given Thomas’ previous two calls on the relatively uncoordinated board that provided few draws, this was a risky spot for Strelitz’s check-raise bluff. If the flop had offered straight and flush draws that failed to materialize on the river this line from Strelitz would have carried more promise, as his opponent would be inclined to make a play for the pot on the river after missing the draws. Strelitz’s check raise was cheaply priced though, and against a hand like Ac-Qc that might have floated the flop, pursued a backdoor draw on the turn, and bluffed a busted draw on the river it would have been effective. Thomas is currently in 4th among the “Octo-Nine” with 24.8 million chips.