Bay 101 Shooting Star $2000 buyin: Hand against Miami John

[JoseGonzlez]

played with Miami a long time ago in AC.

my impression was that he liked to bluff at small pots but if he was playing a big pot he usually had a big hand.

could be wrong but a set would not surprise me.

[Annulus]

Great thread. I call with A2. I bet MJ knows who Justin is and thinks he can get him to fold a weak-medium Ace. MJ prolly has a flush draw imo. Results???

[locutus2002]

Tough hand. John was running incredibly well this tournament.

The best and most likely case for you is that he has an ace. I'd throw out the the few drawing hands (KdQd etc) with the nuts. The nuts are more likely, but the player is less likely.


When you bet the turn, I'd bet with all kickers > 8(the middle point). Otherwise I'd check behind.


Judging from the invincible way he was feeling, and playing, I'd say he would have popped you with AK PF. Since AQ is still in your range, I think he has to have A9 or better to put you all-in. He should have very little expectation of FE against you.

I call with AT.

[Rich N]

To everyone who doesn't like the bet on the turn and prefer a check there (and there's alot of you), isn't that a bad play since if John was on a flush draw you are giving him a free card here to complete his hand?

[JoseGonzlez]

could not find results of this tourney anywhere.

did miami john or zee make it deep?

[Rich N]

Miami John made the final table

[TakenItEasy]

[ QUOTE ]
To everyone who doesn't like the bet on the turn and prefer a check there (and there's alot of you), isn't that a bad play since if John was on a flush draw you are giving him a free card here to complete his hand?

[/ QUOTE ]

While I only thought a check on the turn would be correct only with a weak ace my thinking goes like this.

If a diamond comes off on the river MJ would have to be on a diamond draw to bet since ZJ's line of bet/call check turn looks like a flush draw.

If it's a blank MJ may fire a bluff/value bet for about the same price of a normal sized turn bet and a river call would be better equity than the turn bet since you would always get to showdown.

The small bet on the turn that induced the push is lower equity than a check call river.

So my final lines would be check the small ace to reduce risk and get to showdown.

Normal size bet for a medium ace to take out the draws, get information and lay down against a push.

Small bet for a strong ace/FH to induce the bluff.

[ZeeJustin]

I had A8o and decided to call. John had ATo, and it held up.

FWIW, I think calling in that spot with A2o is terribe. The math that was done was very optimistic, and it is STILL -ev. How can anyone justify this call?

[NoahSD]

ZJ,
You misunderstood what was going on. Ray pointed out that it's almost a call with A2o even if he's never bluffing. Once you add in a reasonable bluffing frequency, A2o becomes a +EV call.

[Rich N]

Wow! That's a cooler. I chalk that one up to just getting unlucky. I don't know how I can lay that down. You can't always just play the nuts, and you had a very good hand. Is it 7 hands that beat you? I guess you just have to make a gut decision and go with it sometimes. I don't know that if you had more time to think would have produced a different decision. Would it have? Did you complain about the phantom clock being called other than what you posted originally? I think it could have just have easily played out the same way with the hands reversed, and you double up. I believe Miami John final tabled the 2K event, and is in the top 3 of the main event at the time of this post, you don't get there just playing the nuts, so I think you made a good call (and he, and all of the posters to this thread would make the same call.) He is obviously a very good player, but he seems to be running even better this week. Hindsight is 20/20. Better luck next time!