A Hand Matchup from the 2014 PCA $10,300 No-Limit Hold'em
Shyam Srinivasan	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 2,700,000	35.82 %	96.9 %	100.0 %	Winner!
Isaac Baron	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 3,945,000	21.88 %	0.0 %	0.0 %
Daniel Gamez	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 2,410,000	40.88 %	3.1 %	0.0 %

Posted On: Jan 22, 2014

Outcome

Preflop, final table, seven handed, with the blinds at 30,000 and 60,000 and a 5,000 ante, Daniel Gamez raised to 130,000 from late position, Srinivasan called in the small blind, and Baron called in the big blind. On the flop Srinivasan checked, Baron checked, and Gamez checked. On the turn Srinivasan checked, Baron bet 215,000, Gamez folded, and Srinivasan called. On the river Srinivasan checked, Baron bet 495,000, Srinivasan raised to 1,400,000, and Baron folded.

Analysis

Srinivasan disguised his hand strength somewhat by simply calling preflop, but Baron didn’t rise to the bait with a squeeze from his big blind as many players might with two broadway cards in this spot. No matter for Srinivasan, he immediately flopped the nuts in a multiway pot and checked it over to his two opponents who might do the betting for him. Gamez passed on the continuation bluff with his pocket pair, checking behind in a spot where a bet can often pick up the pot while protecting his Sevens from any number of turn cards that could improve his opponents. Srinivasan submitted another check on the turn while Baron made a play for the pot, Baron’s Jack qualified for the third nut flush draw and he also had turned a gutterball draw to the King high straight. Srinivasan check called with the nuts. On the river, Srinivasan risked his opponent checking behind for a chance of a bigger pot with a check-raise. Coolered, Baron had caught an incredible river card which gave him a losing backdoor straight. Once Baron bet his camouflaged straight, Srinivasan deployed the check raise. At this point Baron was only losing to a flopped flush, and the odds for that were remote. Baron had a pile of chips, incredible showdown value with a hand his opponent would be unable to put him on, and was receiving easy pot odds on the call that posed a limited threat to his overall chip position. Somehow he found a way to make one of the finest laydowns we’ve ever seen. Subsequently Srinivasan ended up in 6th for $328,020 while Gomez ended up in 5th for $447,040 as Baron continued on to vie for the title.