Jonathan Little Hand of the Week: Daniel Negreanu Plays a Super Cooler Hand

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Today, we’ll look into a hand that you don’t see every day and the one that could pretty much stand next to the definition of a cooler in a poker dictionary.

The stage is set at the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl, and the hand takes place between two famous names: Daniel Negreanu and Bryn Kenney.

The action starts with Kenney picking up A♦A♣ and making it 5,000 to go with blinds at 1,000/2000.

It folds around to Negreanu, who looks down at 3♦3♥ in the big blind and makes a super-standard call. Bryn is the effective stack, starting the hand with 220,000 in chips.

The Flop

The flop comes a dynamic one, as the dealer spreads A♠5♣4♠, giving Bryn the top set. Daniel has an under-pair and a gutshot straight draw and checks his option, as he would with his entire range.

Kenney fires a continuation bet of 5,000, and this is the right play. While you might be tempted to slow-play the top set, on a dynamic board, where the turn can significantly reduce the strength of your hand, you want to keep betting.

For such a small amount, Daniel has a pretty easy call here, as he expects that making a straight or a set would give him the winner.

The Turn

The dealer burns and turns one of the cards Negreanu thinks he wants, as it is the 3♠, improving him to a set.

Daniel decides to take the initiative and comes out betting for 10,000. Generally speaking, the cards you want to lead on are the ones that either give you a big range advantage or a significant nut advantage.

In this spot, Negreanu will certainly have all the straights. There is also the flush on the board, but given the A♠ is out, this reduces the number of flush combinations Bryn will have. All in all, there is nothing wrong with taking the lead in this spot.

Bryn thinks about it and decides to just make a call. While his hand is almost always good here, he can’t risk making a raise that just folds all Negreanu’s bluffs and gives him an opportunity to 3-bet shove with hands that have the set in bad shape, like straights and flushes.

The River

The final card completes the cooler, as it comes 3♣, improving Daniel to quads and Bryn Kenney to top full house.

Daniel thinks for a bit and opts for a bet of 25,000, and there is a very good reason for this sizing. You always have to think about what poker hands you’re trying to get called by.

With this bet, Negreanu is basically targeting different aces in Bryn’s range while also giving him enough room to go for a raise if he does have a stronger hand, such as a flush.

If he were to bet bigger, like two times the pot, he would likely fold all the aces, and he’ll only get a call from those stronger hands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZO4LiwLb5k

Of course, in this particular spot, Kenney will always go for a raise. He bumps it up to 105,000, leaving just 97,000 behind. Daniel, of course, moves all in, and Kenney finds himself in a tough spot with a strong hand, but a hand that’s only the third nuts.

Is there any way Bryn Kenney can somehow find a miraculous fold and get away from aces full? Check out the video above to find out!