PokerCoaching.com Quiz: Rivering Top Pair

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You are eight-handed playing in the World Series of Poker main event. You have a 70,000 stack with the blinds at 250-500 with a 500 big blind ante. The player UTG raises to 1,200 and the action folds around to you in the big blind holding A 9.

Question 1: Should you fold, call, reraise to 3,600, or reraise to 5,000?

Answer: Folding is out of the question, so your only viable options are to call or three-bet. Three-betting is not a bad play, but considering the likely strong raising range from UTG, calling is preferred. 

You call. The flop comes 5 5 3 and both you and your opponent check. The turn is the K and the action is back on you.

Question 2: Should you check, bet 1,000, bet 2,000, or bet 3,000?

Answer: While you may be ahead, your opponent has plenty of kings in their range. You only have a marginal ace-high, so check and see how your opponent proceeds.

You check and your opponent checks as well. The river is the A.

Queston 3: Should you check, bet 1,000, bet 2,000, or bet 3,000?

Answer: Although you improved, always consider your opponent’s range. By checking the flop as well as the turn, your opponent is representing lots of ace-high hands that you will chop with or potentially lose to at showdown.

While you could bet to try and extract value from a king, it is unlikely your opponent has a king because they checked the turn. With your opponent’s range lacking worse hands that you can extract value from, check and look to either call or check-raise if they happen to bet.

You check and your opponent bets 2,000 (63% pot).

Question 4: Should you fold, call, raise to 6,000, or raise to 22,000?

Answer: Much like preflop, folding is out of the question. The optimal play is to call in this spot, but is there any merit in raising to try and extract value from a king or get your opponent off of a chopped pot?

Considering the 6,000 check-raise to get value from a king, even it is unlikely they call with the A on the river. Check-raising to 22,000 to get your opponent off of a chopped pot may be tempting, but realize that your opponent could still have you beat if they happened to play a premium hand in an unorthodox manner.

If you elect to check-raise large to get your opponent off of a chop, only do so if you are confident with your read. Your default play should be to call and get to showdown.

You call and your opponent turns over A K for a better two pair. While you may have lost the hand, take solace in the fact you lost the minimum. ♠

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