Hand 2 Hand Combat -- Stefan Mattsson

Rebecca McAdam: How did the hand kick off?
 
Stefan Mattsson: Luca Pagano came to the right of me with a huge stack, and I had a decent stack — think I started with around 48,000 on 400-800 blinds. He had over 100,000, and I’m on the small blind, Luca’s on the button. It’s folded around to the cutoff who limps, which Luca does as well, and I complete with 3-3, and the big blind checks.
 
RM: It’s not a raising hand here?
 
SM: No not with two players in position because I think both players will call and I have to hit my set to be able to continue to play the hand on the flop most of the time.
 
RM: Basically all you can really hope for here is a good flop, otherwise you’re out.
 
SM: Exactly.
 
Flop: K 4 3 (pot: 3,875)  
Mattsson leads out for 2,800. It’s folded to Pagano who calls.
 
RM: What was the thinking behind the amount you bet?
 


SM: I think it’s a standard bet, since I never bet out hard on the flop in any kind of position — usually make it around 70 percent of the pot when I’m out of position though — a little less in position. So, I put him on any kind of a draw actually or a weak king.
 
RM: Ok, and had you played with Luca before?
 
SM: No, never, and this was one of his first 10 hands.
 
Turn: 7 (pot: 9,475)
 
SM: The turn completes the straight draw and puts a double flush draw out there. This is not a good board for trips.
 
Mattsson bets 5,800. Pagano asks how much he has behind and instantly puts him all in.
 
RM: Were you thinking what you would do next if he put you all in or were you surprised?
 
SM: Oh no I got really surprised since the all-in is twice the pot and he has position on me. So I must say it’s a really sick all-in bet in that spot.
 
RM: Did you think he was trying to push you off your hand?
 
SM: I really can’t put him on a hand there since I would play a 6-5 exactly the same way and he must know that. I really can’t see him doing that with a big draw that would be really fishy. The hand I’m most afraid of there is 4-4 of course, and that’s the hand he most likely makes a sick push like that with, since he probably never will fold it anyway, and doesn’t want to see a scare card on the river since there is a bunch of draws out there. And he can make that play with a 6-5 as well. So I got timed out and my hand got folded because I really couldn’t find a call there with less then 10,000 invested — to call 40,000 more.
 


RM: I’d say there are plenty of players there who would call in that position, that was very disciplined of you.

SM: Yeah I had Mark Teltscher on the table and he couldn’t believe that I folded a set against a push there.
 
RM: It was an amazing fold.
 
SM: Well we don’t know that. It might have been a bad fold.
 
RM: But like you said — was it worth calling with such a small amount in the pot?
 
SM: I don’t think so, and I’ve talked to a lot of players about that hand and some of them think it’s a call, and some don’t. The sick thing is that eight hands later Luca raised up and I called with 7-7. The flop comes 7-6-5, I got it in of course, and he had 9-8, and I didn’t get there, so busted against him just a few hands after that one.
 
RM: At the time did you feel like he wanted a caller?
 
SM: Yes it felt like that because I got him to talk and he said some things that made me think that he wanted a call. Normally people don’t talk at all if they’re not confident with their hand.
 
RM: If the exact same situation appeared tomorrow, would you do anything differently?
 
SM: I would probably make the same play I guess since I have 50 big blinds in play if I fold, so a very playable stack.

RM: So it’s just one of those impossible situations then!

SM: Yeah but it’s a very strange one since he makes that huge all-in move in position and everything, that’s not normally how tournament poker plays.
 
RM: Do you think it’s a good move?

 
SM: I don’t think it matters what kind of hand he has, it’s never a good move. Well on a stone cold bluff maybe, but then he has to have huge cojones! Well I can perhaps see it with a set of fours since the board is very scary at this moment.
 
RM: Maybe he was just playing the big stack?
 
SM: Yes but it’s too much to risk in a pretty small pot. He risks 50 percent of his stack to increase it with 15 percent.
 
RM: The next time you play Luca, will this be on your mind?
 
SM: Of course!
 
RM: Will it make you respect him less?
 
SM: I respect his luck factor at least! He has great results but I’ve never seen him play and only got to see about 15-20 hands this time, and he got two huge setups against me, so what can I say?
 
RM: In tournament poker, do you think it’s important to try and keep the pots small no matter how good you think your hand is?
 
SM: Yes that’s the way I play. I like to play with pot control as long as I can.
 
RM: But doesn’t that also depend on your opponents — if they are loose, it must be very hard?
 
SM: Of course it always does. I can just say I don’t like to gamble. When I finished second in the WPT Barcelona I folded Q-Q preflop twice, so I guess I’m kind of a chicken. I’m very loose in tournaments actually, but I don’t like to get it all-in preflop when I know it’s a coinflip, unless I’ve got them covered.
 
RM: Ok well that sounds sensible enough! So Stefan, the next time you’re on a table with Luca, the luck has to be on your side, and maybe you’ll get some payback? 

SM: Indeed i will!

Swedish pro Stefan Mattsson is only 29-years-old and is a well-known face in the poker community. He can be usually spotted at whatever major tournament is taking place at the time, and is greatly respected among his peers. He has had consistent cashes in events all over the world in recent years including the World Series of Poker main event, with his biggest payout from this prestigious tournament in 2007 ($333,490 for 22nd). His best result was second place in the 2008 World Poker Tour Spanish Championship when he took home $342,989, but he is always on the hunt for bigger and better.