Poker Strategy: Kevin Rabichow On Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em

Kevin Rabichow has more than $2.5 million in live tournament earnings, and millions more in cash game profits from years of playing high stakes online. Rabichow is also a coach at Run It Once Poker Training, which is set to release his new course, The Game Plan, in September.

Card Player TV caught up with the 32-year-old poker pro during his run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Series of Poker $25,000 buy-in heads-up no-limit hold’em event to discuss the hand that saw him eliminate 10-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey in the round of 16. The hand ended with Ivey in the tank for roughly seven minutes while facing a call for his tournament life. Rabichow had check-raised all-in with his turned king-high flush, with four to a straight on a QJ389 board.

“I think any straight is a tough spot,” said Rabichow when asked about what Ivey should consider calling with. “I think it’s obvious to him that I’m representing a flush, maybe K-10 for the thinnest value hand I might have. For sure, any straight as a bluff catcher. I think he would bet weaker, I think he would bet two pair for value, but I don’t think he would really consider calling with two pair. So my guess, in-game, was that he was mulling over calling with a 10, maybe K-10, and just recognized it was a gross spot. I believe he should call with those hands sometimes, but only because everything kind of makes sense where he usually doesn’t have a great hand, and I can have all the great hands. I can also bluff this way, I’ve got plenty of weak hands to bluff with, so it is just a tough spot.”

In our interview with Rabichow, he shares insight on his decisions throughout the hand, including a discussion about three-betting for value preflop with K-J suited in heads-up, checking with a pair and a flush draw on the flop, and what factors influenced his decision to use a small bet sizing on the turn after making the second nuts.

Check out the full video interview below:

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