I was playing in a "superstars" type tournament a friend of mine is running this month. This was Round 2, we were 3 handed and i was the chip leader of this table after knocking the low stack out a few hands previous.

Im on the button with 7/8 suited .

Im on the button and first to act preflop. I limp in with the blinds at 2000/4000.

SB completes and BB checks.


Flop comes out

7 4 2


SB checks; BB checks;

I bet out 10,000


Sb thinks it over for a few seconds, and smooth calls, BB folds.


Turn comes J

SB checks, and i check behind.

River comes out 6

SB checks, and i bet out 25,000

SB raises it to 65,000...I tank for a few...then call...


Ill save the outcome, but what do you think of the play?


Ill give my line here.

Flop: im pretty certain i have the best hand, if he had a strong TP here he would most likely raise my bet or have bet out himself.

Turn: I can't tell if the Jack helped him, if it did, it wouldn't make much sense..as i don't see him not raising with any playable hand that had a jack in it. As he was playing pretty tight, and would have folded anything J9 and under..and raised anything above that.

River: Sorta Scary, cause it makes a straight possible...but one of those things i just couldn't put him on. I held an 8 making it slightly less likely he held 8/5. So it was a long shot he completed a straight here in my mind. But to be sure, i just called rather than reraising here.

Okay, it is useful to give a little more info. What are the chip stacks like, what are your reads of the players, your table image, etc.

As far as what we know.......Let's not be playing 8 high three handed. Suited connectors are useful in multiway situations, not 3 handed or heads up. When we do play from the button, let's open raise. A lot of great players will NEVER limp on the button in a 3 handed tourney. I think this is a good rule of thumb chip stacks permitting.

Flop action looks, eh okay. I think we need to be betting the pot here, but no huge difference.

I would not have checked the turn. If he stabbed a J, so be it, but we have to bet here. I'd say we should throw out about 20-25k. If he called that, I would check the river behind him as we are either beat or he holds a hand which is unlikely to pay us off.

The river is very interesting and I am interested to see how other people view this play. Not so much on your part, but his. That 6 was a juicy card, too juicy to try to trap someone if he hit. Why are you thinking about 85? He is not calling the flop with that hand. If he hit a straight he hit it was 35, which flopped open ended. I really can't say that I'd bet this river, but I am not totally against it either. I would say better than 9 times out of 10 or more you are not going to get raised here, so that is not the reasoning, it is just that if you are called you will frequently show down a losing hand.

I agree with you calling his raise because this is such a bizarre play on the river. He may have had 56 and missed his draw and is now making a terrible steal play. I also read about a hand like this not too long ago where a player had an over pair and just misplayed it. I feel like he could turn over anything, but I wouldn't be sure enough I was beat to lay it down.

Don't even think of reraising this river. If you are thinking about doing anything besides calling, it should be folding.

Yea my aplogies for not posting the chipstacks.


We were pretty deep stacked.


I believe i had about 500,000 chips to his about 420,000 chips. The third person had the remainder which was about 200,000 or so.

Preflop my line was i wanted to get in cheap, cause i felt the other 2 were playing very tight and i could steal the flop regardless of what came. It so happens i flopped what i believed to be the best hand. With the smooth call it kind of set me back and made me think too much.


I think you are right that i should have bet out on the turn. My play is tight, and often times leans to tight/weak...so short handed i loose alot of edge, cause i have a hard time opening up. I was running the table here though, and had made some great reads and great bets...so i felt a rush for sure. still not confident enough to bet out that turn for some reason.


On the river, i took forever to make that call of the check raise...i was oh so close to just checking it down to avoid this decision, but really felt confident in my hand here, i felt like he was making a move...or just pegged me as being weak enough to lay down to a big check raise. Since he knew i was playing too tight.


as soon as i said call, and reached for chips, he siad good job..i showed him my 7, and he cringed, cause he knew i had made a gutsy but sound read..and tossed his hand.


Whats better is he tried this same move on me about 10 hands later..maybe more...and i made the correct call again..and he was tilted...he got up and mumbled something about me making some phenom reads...and he was getting eaten up...so i had him going.


I felt like i was playing tremendous poker yesterday...i made some great bluffs at the right times to win good pots...i got people involved in p ots where i held huge hands, and ended up winning big...


I ended up heads up with the OP villain..and we went at it for 2hrs...it was grueling. I ended up on the short end when i finally decided to make a push with a weak ace after i flopped my under card...he had middle pair and called correctly to knock me out...but we both agree'd that we were so evenly matched it could have went either way.


i love a good challenge like that...made me really feel invigorated about poker again.

I agree with the idea of betting the turn. I think it's completely necessary to make him pay to see the river, which would shut out hands such as 8-5, or the more likely, 3-5.

Also, I'm not thrilled about the river bet, as I'm not a big fan of betting mediocre hands like this on boards as threatening as that one.

Have to give you props for your call/read on the end, but I think this hand solves itself with a 3/4- pot sized bet on the turn, as you were reasonably certain you had the best hand on the flop, and while the jack is semi-threatening, the villian's range doesn't make for any holding containing a jack add up very well.

You have to raise your button preflop, unless the BB is known to defend with random cards. Problem being random cards here are ahead. I wouldn't have checked the turn either, I would have made my normal bet on the turn (whatever that bet may be). I would have checked behind him on the river.

The above analysis about these hands short handed is correct. They don't hold much value. To make a big hand with these holdings is going to require a very coordinated board, and then your not likely to get paid off.