PokerCoaching.com Quiz: Going For Full Value

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You are eight-handed playing in the WSOP main event with an 80,000 stack and the blinds at 200-400 with a 400 big blind ante. UTG limps in and UTG+1 raises to 1,500. The action folds to you on the button and you look down at A 10.

Question 1: Should you fold, call, reraise to 5,000, or reraise to 9,000?

Answer: With the strength of your hand and the ability to navigate post-flop well from the button, folding is out of the question. Even if UTG is a tricky limper, A-10 suited is a hand that can flop well. Three-bets should be for a reasonable size, at most 5,000, as bigger sizes will cause most opponents to fold out worse and continue with better. Unless UTG+1 is loose and splashy, call and see the flop.

You call and UTG gets out of the way. The flop comes 5 2 2 and the initial raiser bets 2,500 (56% pot).

Question 2: Should you fold, call, raise to 6,000, or raise to 9,000?

Answer: Even though you missed this flop, you are ahead of plenty of hands in your opponent’s range. Playing in position and having plenty of turn cards that improve your hand, call and see what develops on later streets.

You call. The turn card is the 10 and your opponent checks.

Question 3: Should you check, bet 3,000, bet 6,000, or bet 9,000?

Answer: The only times you should check back in this spot is when you think your opponent will fold all of their non-pairs or if you can pick up a live tell that suggests they really like their hand. Most of the time this is a spot to bet, with the size based on UTG+1’s tendencies.

A 6,000 bet targets underpairs as well as A-K, but if UTG struggles to continue against big bets, 3,000 is a suitable bet if it will keep them in the pot. 

To keep your opponent in the pot, you elect to check (which is probably not a good decision). The river is the A and your opponent bets 3,500 (37% pot).

Question 4: Should you fold, call, raise to 11,000, or raise to 22,000?

Answer: Your opponent may have an ace, a pocket pair, or they may be bluffing, but regardless, you have the best hand almost 100% of the time.

You have a hand strong enough to raise, but when considering your sizing, take your opponent’s range into consideration. The majority of the hands in your opponent’s marginal hands will likely fold to any sized raise, so try to consider the hands you can get the most value from. Targeting a rivered ace, a large bet like 22,000 may seem too big, but will be a tough price to reject if UTG does indeed have it.

You raise to 22,000 and your opponent folds. While you did not get additional river value, it is unlikely your opponent was going to call regardless of your raise size. ♠

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