The key hand in this match was Shieky's K4 against Daniel's 74. Shawn raised pre-flop and Daniel called. Flop comes down A 7 5 , Daniel check-calls. Turn is a 3 giving both players the same double-gut straight draw, and it goes check-check. River is the 6 giving both players a 7-high straight (neither player has a flush). Daniel leads 20,000 and Shawn goes all-in for 80,000. NBC does not do a good job of keeping the audience informed of the pot size or chip counts per player, but I believe after Shawn's bet the pot was 160,000 (Shawn being all-in), and Daniel having to call 60,000 more from a stack of 160,000.
Daniel shows his hand and evenutally mucks. At the end of the match-up Shawn advances and Daniel tells him that he played that one hand terribly. I'm wondering how many people would play the hand much differenly than Shawn? And why DN thinks Sheiky played the hand so bad. Prob because DN is clearly representing a hand, and all Sheiky can get to fold is the 4 or a total bluff. If you were in DN's spot, would you call? I'd like to hear what people think of this hand. Thanks!

basically cuz there is no value to the raise.

he's either beat by a flush, or splitting the pot. he's most likely ONLY getting called by a hand that beats him, and getting folds from the rest...

- Jordan

Sheik's only playing for half the pot, (at best) and has to know it (and I'm suspecting he misread the board).

A worse hand is going to fold, and his only equity is pushing off a chop hand.

A flush isn't folding...even a weak one...and the key here is DN played the hand very much like a flush draw, and Sheik should have seen that.

I truly suspect that Sheiky didn't see the three clubs on board, which is more common that people believe. Even beyond that, an 84 or an 89 beats his naked four as well.

In reality, the ONLY hand that could fold to that bet would be a tie hand, so he risked his tournament life for half the pot.

Right... I agree with what you both said. I'm wondering if anyone would have calling in DN's spot.

I doubt it. Sheiky played like a flush draw too.

nice avatar.....

Sheiky is the biggest donk in that tourney, which explains why he is so deep.

Nearly every major hand he's won has had him catching miracle cards on his opponents or just having immense luck.

I don't even see why he's even here. There had to be a better player available than Sheik.

First of all, I hate Sheik. He's not a very skilled player which is why I'm curious how he built his bankroll. Then of course there is his attitude which makes me want to punch him threw a wall.

But if anyone besides the Sheik would have made that play, people would have been talking about what a world class bluff that was.

No, no they wouldn't. Bluffing is only worthwhile when your hand is a complete loser and you hold little to no pot equity. When you bluff in a situation like this you are risking a huge portion of your chips when you will generally already have 50% pot equity. It's stupid when/if Phil Ivey does it, it's stupid when/if Sheik does it.

I'm as big a DN fan as there is and I generally can't stand Sheik, but would everyone agree that if you had the straight and you put the other person on the straight, pushing is the best option?

DN writes about a similar situation here:

http://cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/archi...5153&m_id=65578

He recommends bluffing the flush card. *Granted*, I understand the situation is different because the 10c is in one of the hands there, thus assuring that the flush isn't in play, but I think if your read is the other player doesn't have it, it's the same.

Also, I think I recall in last year's heads up tournament, Ted Forrest either pulling the same play or having the same play pulled on him. If I recall, both he and his opponent straightened up with four to a straight on the board and (I think) Forrest stuck it all in over the top of the bet and got the other player to fold.

Sorry about how vague that is, but my memory is getting bad.

Anyhow, the point I'm making is, if you're certain you're chopping a pot, why not put the pressure on your opponent to make the call?

gonna go out on a limb here and say the WSOP helped a little.