Taking creative lines with weak starting hands is usually not the optimal strategy and it can often backfire in a spectacular manner. Sometimes, however, it works to perfection.
The hand we’ll be looking at today is in the latter category, with two Hustler Casino Live regulars, Francisco and Denis the Menace taking the center stage.
The game is $100/$100 with $100 big blind ante, but effective stacks are a smidge under $100k, so, as is usually the case, we are looking at some very deep-stacked poker.
Preflop Action
The hand starts with a player from UTG+1 opening to $500, and Denis the Menace makes it $1,500 next to act with 4♠3♠.
Francisco, in the cutoff, looks down at A♥K♣ and bumps it up to $6,500. This clears out the field, but when the action gets back to Denis, he makes the call, so they proceed to the flop heads-up with $14,000 in the pot.
Preflop Play Analysis
Attacking an early position raise with 4-3, suited or not, is not recommended, especially with several players left to act behind, but Denis is clearly in a mood to gamble and looking for some action, and his hand can hit some flops that his opponents will have a hard time getting away from.
In position and against an aggressive player, Francisco has a very easy 4-bet with his Ace-King. He wants to pick up the pot right away or thin the field and get the hand heads-up, if possible.
Facing a 4-bet from a fairly tight player and being out of position, Denis is probably better off folding his weak suited connectors, as these cards can get him in a lot of trouble. But, with so much money behind, he decides to see the flop and proceed from there.
Flop Action
The flop is a good one for Francisco, as it comes A♠7♥2♥, giving him top pair – top kicker and a backdoor flush draw. Denis picks up a gutshot and a different backdoor flush option.
Denis plays it in flow and checks to the last aggressor. Francisco c-bets for $9,000 and his opponent, after giving it some though, makes the call, making the pot $32,000.
Flop Action Analysis
The action on the flop is fairly straightforward. After 4-betting before the flop, Francisco will continue on almost all boards, especially those containing an ace.
For Denis, check-raising here doesn’t really make much sense, as this board is much better for Francisco’s range. At the same time, with a gutshot and some backdoor options, he certainly wants to see the turn.
Turn Action
The turn is a gin card for Denis, as it comes 5♣, giving him the nuts, with the board reading A♠7♥2♥5♣. He plays it sneaky, though, and checks once again.
Francisco decides to slow down here and instead of firing again, he checks back, so the pot remains at $32,000, heading to the river.
Turn Play Analysis
Although Denis finds one of the best cards in the deck on the turn, it wouldn’t make sense for him to start betting here. The card seems harmless enough, as it only helps 4-3 specifically, which is highly unlikely in a 4-bet pot and, of course, some two-pair combos.
Francisco should be betting again here. He wants to charge weaker aces and any potential flush draws his opponent might have.
His decision to check back here is not standard, and it may have to do with some live read, or he simply wants to give his opponent some rope and allow him to bluff the river with hands that have no showdown value. But, without being results-oriented, a bet of around half pot or slightly over is probably a better option.
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River Action
The J♣ rolls out on the river, completing the board of A♠7♥2♥J♣. After the action checked through on the turn, Denis the Menace takes over the betting initiative and fires out a huge bet of $65,000 into the $32,000 pot.
Francisco finds himself in a blender, facing the bet of two times the pot. He takes a few minutes weighing his options and lands on a call, resulting in a $162k pot for Denis the Menace!
River Play Analysis
Sitting with the stone cold nuts and after no chips went into the pot on the turn, Denis has to bet himself. A big bet makes sense, as it heavily polarizes his range between the nuts and a missed flush draw.
Francisco is in a tough spot, as his check on the turn has somewhat under-represented his hand and opened the door for a bluff. As mentioned, his opponent is unlikely to have the nuts (4-3), but he could potentially have sets or maybe some two-pair combos, maybe even A-J.
It’s a tricky river decision, and it’s hard to blame Francisco for calling against an active player. However, he is holding the A♥, which removes A-high flush draws from his opponent’s range, so with that specific card in his hand, Denis is likelier to have a strong hand when he bombs the river.
