Final Table Takedown -- Brandon Hall

Brandon Hall attended Penn State University before leaving to pursue poker full time. He started playing poker while on a camping trip, fell in love with the game, and eventually began to play tournaments online. He has won the UltimateBet $200,000 tournament for $45,000, and finished second in the PokerStars $1,000 Super Tuesday event for $63,000.

Event: 2009 UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic
Players in the Event: 475
Buy-in: $5,000
First Prize: $753,330
Finish: First

Hand No. 1
Stacks: Brandon Hall – 38,000; Villain – 34,000
Blinds: 400-800
Antes: 50
Players at the Table: 9

Key Concepts: Paying attention to opponents; hand reading; physical tells
The villain raises to 1,900 from the cutoff position.

Craig Tapscott: I know there were many good, aggressive online players in this live event. What’s your read on the villain at this point?

Brandon Hall: He’s been very aggressive and playing a lot of pots. About two hours earlier, he showed down the 6 2 from the cutoff, so his range here could be almost any two cards. If the 6 2 showdown had been more recent history, I think he would have a tighter range and be less likely to bluff. But it had been enough time at this point that I think he’s willing to attempt a move.

Hall defends from the big blind with the 5 5.
Flop: J 8 8 (pot: 4,650)
Hall checks. The villain bets 2,600.

CT: He most likely would continuation-bet 100 percent of his opening range here in position. What are your optimal options? What cards are good and/or bad for your hand and his perceived unknown range?

BH: I plan on calling one more street on most turns and folding most rivers. Raising would be bad because we would be turning our hand into a bluff, and folding would be bad because our hand has value. His range is really almost anything, which means that any turn card can improve his hand, but we have to assess how often his range improves, depending on which card hits. For instance, if it’s a deuce, only 2-2 improves, but if it’s the 10, a lot of hands improve. Anything under an 8 is perfect, but even if it’s a jack, 8, or spade, I can potentially turn my hand into a bluff on the turn or river and represent a full house or flush.

Hall calls.
Turn: 7 (pot: 9,850)
Hall checks. The villain bets 5,500.

BH: The turn brings another flush draw, but overall it’s a very good card for my hand. I consider leading into him to take down the pot now and prevent a tough river decision when there are so many scare cards, but instead decide to see if he would continue his bluff. I had been fairly quiet at this table, and thought he would fire a second barrel.

CT: Most players would’ve packed up, folded, and moved on to the next hand when the villain bet that turn. Has the turn bet defined his range for you?

BH: This card definitely is one that I’m calling.

CT: Why?

BH: Because the only hands it improves are 10-9 and 7-7, which are such a small part of his range when he’s been opening so wide. He definitely could have picked up a flush draw and decided to barrel, or even more likely, he could have just a gutshot or complete air and be trying to push me off my hand.
 
Hall calls.
River: A (pot: 20,850)
Hall checks. The villain moves all in for 23,950.

CT: What could he be overshoving for value here?

BH: Exactly. I know he’s a thinking player, and my range looks so weak that if he had any kind of made hand, why wouldn’t he make some kind of half-pot or three-quarter-pot bet and try to get a call?

CT: What about the ace on the river?

BH: The ace is such a good bluff card because it’s so scary for what my perceived range is. When you think about it, there are no aces with which he’s going to be value-overshoving the pot. The vast majority of the time, I have a hand like K-J, Q-J, J-10, some combo of spades, or a small pair. If I had anything stronger, I would’ve raised on a previous street or led out at some point to protect my hand on this draw-heavy board. This was basically for my tournament life, and he was definitely the type of player who would realize this and assume that I wouldn’t be willing to call it off light.
 
CT: Did you pick up any other reads?

BH: I like to pay attention to an opponent’s heart rate and breathing, because I think they are the truest indicators and can’t be faked. When I looked at him, his heart was racing and he just looked pretty nervous overall.
So …

Hall calls. The villain flips over the K 9. Hall wins the pot of 68,750.

Hand No. 2
Stacks: Brandon Hall – 3,100,000; Robert Mizrachi – 4,000,000
Blinds: 20,000-40,000
Antes: 5,000
Players Remaining: 2

Key Concepts: Hand reading; knowledge of an opponent’s tendencies

CT: You had some pretty tough competitors at this final table. Robert Mizrachi, Eric Baldwin, and Brock Parker are all World Series of Poker bracelet winners. Let’s get to heads-up play.

BH: We’re about 15 hands into heads-up play, and so far I’ve been dictating the pace of play and have won at least 10 of the pots.

Mizrachi raises to 100,000 from the button. Hall calls from the big blind with the K 9.

Flop: Q 7 5 (pot: 210,000)
Hall checks. Mizrachi checks.

BH: Mizrachi’s check usually means that he has complete air or maybe a small club. He would make a continuation-bet with any pair on this flop to protect it, and also with any big club in his hand. 

Turn: 7 (pot: 210,000)
Hall checks. Mizrachi bets 150,000.

CT: What do you make of this turn bet?

BH: It doesn’t make any sense, because with my read on the flop, he would have bet any pair. So, I call, thinking my king high quite possibly is the best hand, and that my 9 is definitely the best draw. 

River: 6 (pot: 510,000)
Hall checks.

CT: What are you looking to do on this river with only king high?

BH: Basically, I’m looking to catch a bluff. Then, almost instantly, Mizrachi slides out a stack of red 25,000 chips.

Mizrachi bets 500,000.

CT: Are you going to stick with your read? The 6 didn’t change much.

BH: Once again, it just didn’t make any sense. Whenever people bet super fast without thinking, it’s usually a bluff. If a player was looking to get value, he would take time to think of what I have and then how much I would be willing to call. But when the only way he can win is by bluffing, the only thing he has to think about is betting. And by betting big and fast, it’s more intimidating. So, I …

Hall calls.

BH: When he said that he had king high, my heart sank. If he would’ve had something like K-10 or K-J and been bluffing, I would’ve felt like such an idiot, but he turned over …

Mizrachi reveals the K 8. Hall wins the pot of 1,510,000 with the better kicker.