Final Table Takedown: Brian Altman Runs an Overbet Bluff and Catches a Big Bluff

Brian Altman is a 28-year-old poker pro who currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences with a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) in 2012. Black Friday halted his poker career as it occurred while he was still attending school.

After graduating, he took some time off to travel and eventually relocated to Montreal, Canada to pursue playing online poker. In 2015, Altman won the World Poker Tour Lucky Hearts Poker Open main event for $723,008. He now has more than $1.6 million in career live tournament earnings.

He values the lifestyle of being his own boss, flexible hours, and being able to travel the world. Some of his interests include drinking and collecting wine, visiting breweries, traveling, cooking, watching UFC, and spending time with friends and family.

Event: WSOP International Circuit Canada
Players: 520
Entry: $1,273
First Prize: $127,452
Finish: 1st

Key Concepts: Capped ranges; Hand reading

Craig Tapscott: When you came into the final table what was your chip stack in relation to the final nine and did you have a plan of attack?

Brian Altman: I came into the final table third or fourth in chips and had about 45 big blinds. Luckily, I had picked up some playable hands and won a series of small pots to chip up a bit. My plan of attack was to play solid and attack some of the player’s big blinds who I thought were playing tighter.

Gentili raises to 65,000 from under the gun. Altman calls from the big blind holding K 5.

CT: Share your call here with a pretty weak hand out of position?

BA: If I had been facing a larger raise size preflop I would have folded. But a small 2.167x raise plus antes makes this an attractive call, despite being up against a much stronger range.

Flop: Q 9 6 (pot: 190,000)

Altman checks. Gentili checks.

CT: After he checks back are you formulating a plan to steal this pot?

BA: This is a pretty bad board for my hand. With no pair and no draw, I don’t see myself winning this pot very often. Even if I turn some type of draw, a single turn bet is unlikely to steal the pot. I’m not really formulating a plan to steal this pot. I expected to check-fold most turns.

Turn: J (pot: 190,000)

Altman checks. Gentili checks.

River: 4 (pot: 190,000)

Altman bets 240,000. Gentili folds. Altman wins the pot of 190,000.

CT: When you overbet the pot on the river what hand range are you putting Gentili on?

BA: I don’t expect my opponent to check back any set twice and I’m not even sure if he raises 4-4 from UTG. If he does have 4-4 in his range I expect him to continuation bet the flop for visibility. So with these assumptions I can discount sets in his range. Additionally, his most likely two pair combos would be Q-J, which he almost always would bet on the flop and/or turn. Also aces and kings, and Q-x would likely bet the flop and/or turn as well.

CT: He’s checked it down to you all the way. So what hands is he trying to get to showdown with?

BA: On the river I think his most likely holdings are 10-10, 8-8, 7-7, and 9-x (A-9 suited and 10-9 suited) if he opens wide and fewer of those combos if he is tighter. He could also have hands like J-10, K-J and A-J. In terms of flushes, I think my opponent can have suited A-K, A-J, A-10, K-J, K-10, 7-8 and even some other A-x combos. However, I strongly believed he continuation-bets them all most of the time on the flop. 

CT: What range do you surmise he’s putting you on?

BA: I can have every set, and most combinations of two pairs, straights and flushes. And given all of these strong value hands in my range, it’s very difficult for him to make a call with a medium strength hand. Given that it’s so unlikely he has a hand stronger than two pair or better, I can bet huge with my bluffs and with my value hands, forcing him into a pretty tough spot. It worked and I got the fold. After the tournament, he told me he had 9-x and was calling every river bet size up to the pot. So I’m very happy I went big with my sizing.

Key Concepts: Hand reading; Bet sizing

CT: Once you got heads-up what was your evaluation of how to play against Lemarquand?

BA: When he chose to three-bet me multiple times early on in the heads-up match, it was clear he was playing fast and aggressive. I expected a high variance style of play. 
Altman raises to 150,000 from the button holding K 6.

BA: While K-6 offsuit isn’t typically a strong hand at a nine or even a six-handed table, king high heads-up is likely to be the best hand, and worthy of coming in for a raise. I raised more than a minimum raise to get initial folds from some of the weaker hands that he might defend to a minimum raise. At just under a 70 big blind effective stacks I feel it’s an appropriate sizing.

Lemarquand calls.

Flop: K 7 6 (pot: 320,000)

Lemarquand checks. Altman bets 100,000.

CT: Why did you choose such a small c-bet? Did you want him to make a move since you flopped huge?

BA: My continuation bet is on the smaller side, slightly less than one-third pot. I wanted to keep in a wide range of holdings, as my hand is so strong. I also considered that if I went with a smaller sizing my opponent would be more likely to float wider with hands he may fold to a larger size. 

Lemarquand calls.

Turn: Q (pot: 520,000)

Lemarquand checks. Altman bets 300,000.

Lemarquand calls.

BA: My turn bet sizing in this spot could vary from half pot to 1.5x pot. I felt with the size I chose he would continue with his 7-x hands and maybe even 6-x.

River: 5 (pot: 1,120,000)

Lemarquand checks. Altman bets 850,000.

CT: So you’re going for a big value bet here on the river.

BA: I bet 850,000 into 1.12 million, which is a very large bet. I’m representing a very strong hand or a complete bluff.

Lemarquand moves all-in.

CT: Not what you expected I am sure. What range could he have in this spot?

BA: When he check-raises all-in he’s representing an extremely strong hand (a straight, a set or and a strong two-pair) or something he is turning into a bluff. I didn’t expect my opponent to check-call twice with straight draws (9-8, 4-3, or 8-4) on the flop and turn. The only straight draws combos I think he could realistically check-call with would be those that are the suited diamonds. With that being said, I feel like he would check-raise these hands on the flop or turn in a high frequency because of how strong the draws were and it would allow him to apply maximum pressure. Taking all of this into account, it’s pretty unrealistic he has a straight.

CT: Could it be two pair?

BA: I think check-raising two pair all-in on the river is much too thin. I have a range advantage on this river because I can realistically have all of the straights, sets, and two pairs. I can discount him having a set of kings and a set of queens, because I’m certain he would three-bet those preflop. I can also discount a portion of the K-Q combos for that reason as well. I’m not sure if he would three-bet preflop with 5-5, 6-6 and 7-7 at these stack depths, but if he does, it makes a set even more unlikely. I don’t see my opponent calling twice with 5-5 that often. And I believe he would likely fast play any flopped set given how wet the board is. Additionally, I block a set of kings and a set of sixes. I eventually call after a few minutes of thinking and he tables…

Altman calls. Lemarquand reveals 9 7, Altman wins the pot of 10,355,000.

BA: The 9-7 is one of the types of hands I would expect to be played as a river check-raise bluff as he has a nine in his hand and blocks the nut straight. I think this is a reasonable hand to bluff with. Unfortunately, if you are always fast playing your combo draws on previous streets, it makes this river spot super bluff heavy. ♠