One Minute Mystery: The Case of the Toy Prize Inside

We're in a 105-player 6-handed max No-Limit Hold'em tournament.

We have 14,000 in chips, and the average stack is 5,000.

It's folded to us on the button, and we look down at Kd-5h. We limp, the big blind checks, and we see a flop heads up.

The flop: 4d-9d-Ad.

The big blind checks, and we bet half the pot. Big blind calls. Pot stands at 450.

The turn: 3h

Now, the big blind bets pot. We call.

The river: 2s.

The big blind bets pot again.

Do we raise, fold or call?

Times file photo

Comments

[aces88ss]

Easy choice first...

Fold...I wouldn't. Your straight against a possible flush (possibility of a higher straight, limping in could allow the BB to play a 4-6). Decent chip lead, you can afford the chips if you are beat, but the math odds are that your straight is ahead.

So, Call or Raise...Well, the check on the river followed by the bet on the turn and river is exactly how I would play a flopped flush or a straight draw (although, with the 3 diamonds on the board, I actually would probably fold, but it is online, I have certainly seen people chase these hands). So, I don't think opening up the betting again is a good idea. If you are ahead, take your chips and be happy. If you are behind, you still have more than twice the average. But if you open the betting up again, you risk an over the top all in bet that would be a VERY DIFFICULT call.

So...Call

[daedalus]

Interesting call on the turn Columbo (I fold unless he's deepstacked)....but I fold the river here. You can only beat the low end of his range. He's doesn't slow down in response to your smooth calls so he's strong (slowplayed a flopped flush). I don't see the straight or a set based on the betting pattern. Granted the odds are low that he starts in the blind with 2 hearts but I think his actions are screaming he has this.

[Godard]

I can see your opponent playing a flopped flush this way (the old smooth-call-then-bet-out is a pretty amateur move), and I can see your opponent playing a flopped set / top-two pair this way (keep the pot small on the flop, and then bet either for value (turn and river) or to punish a flush draw on the turn). It's hard to put him on an exact hand, and you're getting 2-to-1 on your money, so I say call.

A raise is a losing game..you're called when you're behind and he folds when you're ahead.

And a fold is just too tight because you can't definitively put him on a flush... can you?

[JLBSox]

I call here. He could easily have 2 pair, a set, or a straight. These are more likely than a flopped flush.

A raise is a zero play. You are only getting called by a hand that has you beat.

[Brett Otte]

1. You violated my cardinal rule: N.P.A.H.Y.N.S.P.I.T.F.P. Never play a hand you never shoulda played in the first place.

Kd5h is a TERRIBLE hand. Sure you got to see the flop for cheap, but what if the BB had bet out? Certainly you would have folded pre-flop. If you can't come in for a raise why come in at all and possibly donate your call to the BB? You can only win by collecting the SB & whatever else the BB puts into this pot. Not worth it.

Granted, this isn't the question, but certainly bad play to start.

Next, you're drawing to the nut flush, but it never comes. There's always the possibility they flopped a flush, so aqain we probably shouldn't be in this hand since they called the 1/2 pot bet.

The 3h turn gives you 3 more outs to catch a straight, but is that straight the nuts? Nope. Still have the flush draw on board and the straight might get you in deeper if it comes.

Plus, they could've had 5/6 with a diamond. You really don't know since you didn't raise pre-flop. They could be calling with a weak ace too and flopped two pair or even trips since it's low cards on the board.

That turn card leads me to believe they could have 2 pair now after their pot bet. Granted in this spot I MAY have called since you're still drawing to A nut flush hand.

Pot is now $1350 and the river brings that straight. $1350 bet and you're thinking of calling?

What happens when we call? We get in situations like THIS by calling on the BUTTON and sucked in. I'm not sure about YOU, but in MY experience you feel great about those awesome calls where you made the right read, but more often than not calling is just NOT the right move.

You only donate $652.50 so far into this pot. Are you willing to toss another $1350? When you really don't know where you stand? You went from controlling the betting in the beginning to him taking over.

FOLD.

[MAB]

EASY CALL. (I cannot believe people advocate FOLDing this hand. I just read an article in CardPlayer about the MUB (monsters under the bed). Brett - Are you always afraid of the MUB?

The BB is playing a weak ace, that is why he calls the first bet. He probably had A3, and gets Aces up on the turn. Either that or he has pocket 3s and make his set. He fires pot, just in case you have already have the flush or a flush draw. A large re-raise here would probably have chased him out.

The pot bet on the River is for value, as he thinks his Aces up or set of 3s are good, since you did not re-raise on 4th street.

I would not raise, just in case he did flop the flush, and you wouldn't want to find out with an ALL-IN re-raise (you would only likely get called with a hand that beats you).

Hard to put him on 5-6, as he started firing when the 3 hit. Why fire with a gut shot at this point.

Only thing that makes sense is weak Ace, like A-3 or pocket 33s.

Gotta CALL. The total committment is only 2000units out of your stack of 14000.

CALL. And take it down.