Poker Hand Matchup: Mukul Pahuja vs. Bryce Yockey
Mukul Pahuja	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 2,800,000	60.68 %	68.48 %	81.82 %	Winner!
Bryce Yockey	Win Pre-Flop	Win Post-Flop	Win Post-Turn
Starting Stack: 1,165,000	38.64 %	30.0 %	18.18 %

Posted On: Apr 01, 2014

Outcome

Preflop, with the blinds at 15,000 and 30,000 and a 5,000 ante, Yockey raised to 60,000 from the cutoff seat, and Pahuja called in the big blind. On the flop Pahuja checked, Yockey bet 75,000, Pahuja raised to 200,000, and Yockey called. On the turn Pahuja bet 280,000, Yockey went all-in, and Pahuja called.

Analysis

Pahuja took an excellent line in the hand, which highlights an important concept for players who might be missing value with strong made hands. The highly coordinated board texture here made Pahuja less inclined to trap, and more inclined to build a pot. Not necessarily because he was afraid his straight would be run-down by a flush draw, but because there were so many combinations of hands that would proceed in spite of the check-raise. Almost all broadway combinations will proceed here, usually making one-pair hands with straight draws like A-10, K-J, Q-9 etc. Of course any two-pair hands were cooled and in grave danger of going broke. With such a coordinated flop there was no need for Pahuja to play coy with his straight, as he knew the flop would likely interest an opponent who would also be drawing so thin. Yockey’s flush draw put him in much better shape than an opponent drawing to a chop with a hand like K-10, but unfortunately his straight draw was much less promising as he was drawing to the wrong end of the straight. And with only one card to come on the turn, Yockey’s last 900,000 (30 big blinds) was tenured while he was a 4.5:1 dog. Even a flat call from him on the turn would have left him with 620,000, enough stack to wait and see what developed on the river. The fact that his straight draw was not reliable, there was only one card to come for his flush, and his opponent had just executed a check-raise followed by a lead on the turn argued against a total commitment of his stack, especially with a chip position that allowed for much more flexibility and no tangible indication that a shove could get Pahuja off his hand. Yockey missed clubs on the river and busted in 11th, for $49,740.